Is there a “UPA of the future” for Anglophone farmers?

Transcription

Vol. 30, No. 9
October 2010
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Is there a “UPA of the future”
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What’s Inside…
Results from our
readership survey…
p. 3
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Are you a freerider?… p. 5
QFA’s annual
meeting… p. 12
Help for mental
illness…
p. 13
Big changes are happening at the UPA, where a second round of public consultations has recently wrapped up for the union’s “UPA du futur” restructuring project.
Andrew McClelland
Advocate Staff Reporter
w w w. q u e b e c f a r m e r s . o r g
w w w. q u e b e c f a r m e r s . o r g
Mystic barn
inaugurated… p. 16
Now that the second round
of public consultations for the
Union des producteurs agricoles’
“UPA of the future” restructuring project is over, many
Quebec farmers are looking to
the days ahead with cautious
optimism for their union and
their place within it.
In 2009, the UPA first
announced its plans to radically change the organizational
body of the union. Citing problems regarding dealing with
municipal and regional levels
of government, and rising
administrative costs, the UPA
launched its preliminary public consultations with a mind to
“ensure that the future of the
organization is in good hands,
and able to meet the changes
and challenges we will face in
the years to come,” in the
words of UPA President
Christian Lacasse.
One of the most controver-
sial matters presently being
considered by the UPA is a
plan that would see the territories of local syndicates entirely
redrawn to match the boundaries of the province’s regional
municipal counties, or MRCs.
While the union hopes that
such a change will better serve
agricultural producers in every
local chapter, the fact remains
that the number of syndicates
will be cut in half.
“As a whole, every region
and affiliated group will be
affected by the proposed
changes,” says Hélène Benoît,
spokesperson for the “UPA du
futur” project. “The number of
local syndicates will go from
155 to 82. This means major
changes in every region, one of
which is to allow more
resources at ground level, in
every local syndicate, while
respecting producers’ capacity
to finance their organization.”
As things now stand at the
UPA, a local syndicate’s
boundaries often overlap with
two or even three MRCs, making it awkward for a local
chapter to keep in step with the
plans and laws of their municipalities. The UPA expects the
changes to save the union $1.7
million annually.
“Reconfiguring local syndicate territories to those of
MRCs and regional federations
and specialized groups to
those of government administrative regions will change
most areas covered by our
affiliated groups,” says Benoît.
“The most important changes,
compared to today’s layout,
will be in the ChaudièresAppalaches, Montérégie, BasSt-Laurent
and
Québec
regions.”
The borders of almost all federations would change under
the proposed redrawing, some
slightly and some considerably.
For
example,
the
Montérégie
region—which
currently has two UPA regional federations, Saint-Hyacinthe
and Saint-Jean-Valleyfield—
The QFA’s Annual General Meeting
Friday, November 12, 2010
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would make up one federation
in the new UPA.
Moreover,
ChaudièresAppalaches would grow in
size to reach all the way to the
Bas-Saint-Laurent region, a
change that would see the
Côte-du-Sud (La Pocatière)
federation effectively swallowed up. In June, Côte-duSud producers collected over
2,000 signatures opposing the
“harmonization” of the UPA’s
regions with those of the
province, claiming that any
changes in the union’s structure should “respect the wishes of the region’s agricultural
producers” instead of being
“shoved down their throats.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Being a woman is a terribly
difficult task since
it consists principally
in dealing with men.
— Joseph Conrad
Page 2 - Quebec Farmers’ Advocate / October 2010
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The Best of
Empowering
Anglophones?
Mission
To defend the rights, provide information and advocate for
the English-Speaking agricultural community in Quebec.
The Quebec Farmers’ Association (QFA)
represents and promotes the interests of the
English-speaking agricultural community through assuring
the provision of information, programs, and services. In doing so, the QFA provides
a forum to develop a sense of belonging, confidence,
and pride among its constituency.
Specific objectives in support of this mission include:
• Creating a supportive environment for agricultural and rural development •
Seeking respect and recognition for the English-speaking agricultural
community’s contribution to rural development • Facilitating communication
between the QFA’s constituency and the full range of stakeholders from suppliers
and government through to the consumer.
Quebec Farmers’ Association
Membership Application
Last Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - First Name - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Address - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One recommendation in the
new changes would allow the
members of each local syndicate
reserve a seat for female agricultural producers an another for
Anglophone
producers.
However, since the change in
local syndicates would involve
the merging of the UPA’s existing English-language syndicates
with the larger French-language
syndicates of their area, many
are wondering if the “UPA of the
future” is a good thing for
Anglophone farmers.
“The goal is not to increase or
decrease the power of [Englishspeaking] or [French-speaking
producers],” says Hélène Benoît.
“It is to create a better synergy
between different parts of our
organization and to favour more
coherent and cohesive actions. In
all regions, local syndicates will
become the entryway to the UPA
for all producers.”
For QFA Board Member Ken
Brooks, news about the UPA
changes has been a mix of discouragement and hope.
“Originally, we heard that our
local English syndicate was
doomed. We were told that we’d
be absorbed into the French-language syndicates, who could
give us a seat if they felt like it,”
said Brooks, who is a director for
the Chateauguay Valley English
UPA syndicate.
However, reports Brooks,
many Francophone producers in
the region are willing to go to bat
for their Anglophone friends.
“We had a meeting here a
week ago where the executives
for our regional federation
[Saint-Jean-Valleyfield] told us,
‘We’re with you: we won’t vote
for any UPA of the Future proposal that says you have to give
up your English syndicate.’”
Brooks noted that producers
from Saint-Jean-Valleyfield have
been eager participants in discussions about the proposed
changes to their UPA representation.
“When phase two of the public
meetings for the UPA restructuring were announced, we sent letters to all our members,” says the
apple and maple producer from
Franklin Centre. “We had over
100 members show up at the
consultation in Ormstown.
People knew this was their
chance to save what they have.”
Speaking of the rounds of public
consultations,
UPA
spokesperson Hélène Benoît
stated that “the participation of
Anglophone producers has been
the same, in terms of percentage,
as the rest of Quebec producers.”
Merging languages
Many producers wonder how
well merged English and Frenchlanguage syndicates will operate. For Mirabel-area beef producer Douglas Morehead, even
bilingual meetings can be a
source of confusion.
“If everybody understands
both languages at a meeting,
there’s never a problem,” says
Morehead. “But if things get carried away, and not everybody’s
on the same page, some won’t
understand the information
that’s being presented.”
However, the fact remains that
some of the English-language
syndicates simply cannot draw
the same level of participation
from Anglophone producers as
their Francophone counterparts.
“A few of the syndicates
around here are small,” says
Morehead. “If you invite someone to speak to the group, and
only 10 or 12 people show up, it
can be kind of embarrassing.
Most of the English guys in
Mirabel are good enough in
speaking French to understand
what’s going on at the meetings, and the information you
get at those meetings is always
good.”
QFA keeps its spot
Some changes will also occur
at the general council, which will
meet 10 times per years if the
“UPA of the future” proposal is
adopted as currently drawn up.
Regional representatives would
make up 20 seats in the council
(one for each region, with the
largest regions being allowed
two representatives), and specialized federations occupying
24 seats. The Quebec Farmers’
Association would keep its seat
and promoting the interests of
Anglophone producers in the
province.
The implementation of the
“UPA of the future” proposal
will be decided upon at the
UPA’s annual congress in
December.
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Quebec Farmers’ Advocate / October 2010 - Page 3
What Advocate readers said about the
Advocate
A report back on our 2010 readership survey
Andrew McClelland
If you were one of the many
who filled out the readership
survey card that was mailed
with our March issue, be prepared to see some of your own
writing in the following paragraphs. Results from our 2010
readership survey are in and
tabulated—here’s a full report
on what you, the readers, said
about the Quebec Farmers’
Advocate.
For starters on our survey, we asked you “What
is your favourite regular
column
in
the
Advocate?” In years
past, most respondents
have answered that
our cover story is
their favourite feature. And while
many once again
expressed
their
satisfaction with
our lead stories,
20 per cent of
readers
said
that
Paul
Meldrum’s
“Devotion to
Dairy” is the highlight of the Advocate. That
must be why Paul picked up an
award for Best Column Writing
at the 2008 Better Newspaper
Awards. Turn to page 15 to
read this month’s edition of
“Devotion to Dairy.”
Other readers answered that
editorials written by QFA’s
Executive members were their
favourite, and a sizeable portion said that content from the
W.H. Miner Institute was tops.
Others decided not to play
favourites
and
simply
answered, “All of them are my
favourite.”
Our second question asked
readers what kind of articles
they would like to see more of
in our paper. Most readers—an
impressive 73 per cent—said
that news on agricultural politics and policy in Quebec and
Canada should be our top priority. The Advocate will therefore continue to focus on interpreting and informing Englishspeaking producers about ag
policy that affects them directly.
Most readers also mentioned
that financial and taxation
news should feature prominently in the Advocate. One
reader in particular said that
we should have a “financial
and taxation column for selffiled documents, since the
Quebec government expects us
to have a Certified Public
Accountant to fill out forms.”
Money matters were also a
top concern for readers who
answered last year’s survey. As
a result, we added a regular
column by Robert Savage, CEO
of Solutions affaires expertsconseils. Turn to page 16 to
read Robert’s column about all
things financial on the farm.
More ads or
just enough?
Advocate staff had a slight
disagreement of opinion with
Advocate readers when it came
to question three, which asked
if readers felt there was
enough, not enough, or just the
right amount of advertising in our
paper. Sixty
per cent of readers said
there was enough advertising,
while the remaining 40 per cent
said that there was not enough.
We agree with the minority in
this case! If you know of a company, local supply dealer or
auction that should be advertising in the Advocate, let us
know by calling us at (450) 6790540, extension 8536. As one
respondent said, “It sure helps
pay for the paper!”
Smart readers
lower front page.” Thanks to
those readers who offered such
sweet sentiments.
However, one reader felt that
the jokes featured on our
Quirky QFA Crack-Ups page
were frequently “on the edge
of
inappropriateness.”
Advocate staff reviewed
a particularly
provocative joke about a genie
in a bottle featured in our April
issue and agreed that it was
perhaps a bit too “blue.” Turn
to page 23 to visit our
jokes page this
month!
O n e
reader asked for
“More forecasts on projected crop productions
in US and world markets,” so we wrote our
September cover story on
the world grain shortage.
Others wanted more stories
about producers in Quebec, or
profiles of operations outside
Thank you to
all readers who took the
time to fill out our 2010 survey—we’re listening to what
you’ve said!
Remember to fill out this
year’s readership survey. You
can pick up copies at this year’s
annual general meeting to be
held on Friday, November 12
at the Centennial Centre of
Macdonald Campus. The survey will also be mailed with
our November issue.
QFA Board Members
Douglas Brooks
Executive Member
Franklin
Chris Judd
President
Shawville
Ken Brooks
Franklin
John McCart
Vice-President
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge
Question four asked readers
to list what other farm publications they subscribe to.
Advocate readers, it would
seem, are an eclectic and literate bunch. The long list included, the Ontario Farmer,
Farmers’ Forum, Canadian
Organic Growers, Small Farm,
FeedStuffs, La Terre de chez
nous, Cattlemen’s Magazine,
Grain News, Rural Delivery,
Rural Voice, Canadian Farm
Manager, Furrow and the FCC
Express. One reader said,
“None!”—indicating that the
Advocate satisfies all of his or
her family’s needs for ag news.
Wendall Conner
Executive Member
Canton de Hatley
Stay the course,
Advocate!
Bill Fairbairn
Executive Member
Wakefield
When we asked you what
kind of stories the Advocate
was lacking, a reassuring number of readers used the opportunity to say such kind things
as, “You are doing a great
job!”, “I am actually quite satisfied with what I see,” and “We
enjoy the paper and find it
informative; also enjoy the
snippets of wisdom in the
the province. One reader suggested the QFA start a
Facebook page,
and another
stated
the
QFA needs
support to
k e e p
English in
U P A
l o c a l
syndicates.
Margaret Cheal
North Hatley
Roderick Morrison
Kingsbury
Wylie Munro
Cascapedia
Roy Copeland
Lachute
Ronald Strutt
Shawville
Gib Drury
Executive Member
Alcove
Meredith Closs
4-H representative
Malcolm Fraser
Cookshire
QFA EDITORIAL
PHOTO: CHANTAL TIE
UPA of
the future:
New UPA site!
Yeah,Yeah,Yeah! The UPA launched a new version of
Gib Drury
QFA Past-president
Just like the Beatles’ song “She
Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)”,
I love the UPA. The UPA has
been good to me in my farming
career: it has brought financial
stability and security to my farm
with both the Farm Income
Stabilization plan (ASRA) and
the property tax rebate program.
It has allowed me to expand my
farm by preventing speculators
and non-farmers from buying
up adjacent farmland, thanks
largely to the Farm Land
Protect ion Commission—the
Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ).
Opinion polls show that
“farmer” ranks as the third
most-respected profession in the
public mind, just behind firemen and nurses. That esteem is
due to the hard work of producers’ organizations like the Union
des producteurs agricoles. More
than anything else, the UPA has
provided me with the opportunity to meet and wo rk with my
fellow farmers.
Now the UPA wants to make
radical changes to its structure
and operations. Well, I wish it
the best of luck and hope that it
becomes as effective an organization in the future as it has
syndicates, one for one, with the
existing regional municipal
councils (MRC) and to match
the regional federations with
Quebec’s
administrative
regions. It just ma kes good sense
to have only one UPA group
covering each territory. Saves
money, too! As for halving of
the number of directors, that is
not a bad idea either: in the good
THE QUEBEC FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION WILL BE NET
WINNERS IN THE NEW STRUCTURE AS WE MAINTAIN
OUR SEAT ON GENERAL COUNCIL
been in the past. The Quebec
Farmers’ Association will be net
winners in the new structure as
we maintain our seat on general
council and have the right to
elect representatives at the
regional and l ocal levels of the
“new” UPA.
One of the major changes proposed for the UPA du futur is a
drastic reduction in the number
of directors (from 3,200 to 1,700)
in local syndicates and in
regional federations (from 14 to
12). The plan is to match local
Quebec Farmers’ Advocate
old days (prior to the internet
and Google), directors met to
exchange information and to
develop policy. We can now do
that from the comfort of our
own homes without sacrificing
valuable individual input and
wasting precious travel time.
That also saves more money for
the UPA. The projected savings
in administration for the new
structure is one million dollars a
year. This new “UPA of the
future” sure gets my vote. Yeah,
yeah, yeah!!!
Editor-in-Chief
Ivan Hale
[email protected]
Managing Editor
Andrew McClelland
[email protected]
Production Manager
La Terre de chez nous
Published to benefit the English
agricultural and rural community in Quebec
Vol. 30, No.9: October 2010
All contents copyright and may not be reprinted or translated without
permission. Published in Quebec by The Quebec Farmers’
Association. Legal deposit: National Library of Canada. Dépôt légal:
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec.
ISSN#0714-9518
Publication Mail No: 40033773
THE QUEBEC FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE SUPPORT OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE IN THE PUBLICATION OF
THIS PAPER.
Sales Director
André Savard
[email protected]
450-679-8483 ext. 7221
www.quebecfarmers.org
its website in early October. The
redesign makes the union’s internet
presence smoother, easier-to-use and
has an overall improved look from
the previous www.upa.qc.ca
However, some users may have
noticed one slight glitch. There is no
“English” option for the site! When
visitors went to the former
www.upa.qc.ca, they could select
“English” by clicking on the word at
the top-right corner of the screen.
And although not all content was
translated, it was greatly appreciated
by Anglophone producers.
The QFA is following up with the
UPA and hopes to get some Englishlanguage content on the site as soon
as possible.
Sales Representatives
Daniel Lamoureux (National Sales
Representative), Christian Guinard,
Sylvain Joubert, Marie-Claude Primeau.
Contributors
Pierre-Yvon Bégin, Destini Broom,
Nathalie Côté, Heather Dann, Gib Drury,
Matthew Farfan, Jean-Charles Gagné,
Maria Gentle, Maryse Harnois, Thierry
Larivière, Daniel Lefebvre Paul Meldrum,
Myles Mellor, Julie Mercier, Christine
Miron, Robert Moore, Terry Mosher,
Dougal Rattray, Robert Savage, Julie
Roy, Ev Thomas, Carl Thériault.
Subscription rates to the Advocate
for non-QFA members are $56.44 per
year (taxes included).
Subscriptions do not include free
classified ads and are renewable after
11 issues.
QFA memberships (includes a free
subscription to the Advocate) are
$56.44 (taxes included) and are
renewed every year.
Send cheques to:
The Quebec Farmers’ Association
555 Roland-Therrien, office 255
Longueuil, QC J4H 4E7
Phone: (450) 679-0540, ext. 8536
Fax: (450) 463-5291
E-mail: [email protected]
Paying your way or free-riding:
everyone must choose
Ivan Hale
QFA Executive Director
A few months back I had a
new experience. I was taking
Montreal’s public transit system
from a meeting downtown to the
QFA offices. I rode the Metro to
the south shore terminus in
Longueuil, where I boarded a
bus for the last leg of the journey.
Nodding to the driver I walked
to the back of the bus and took
Norma MacKinnon
Douglas Johnston
Roland Maxwell
Gerald Duncan
Wylie Munro
George Pinchin
Ina Kilgour
Douglas Hadley
Raymond Losito
Peter Ednie
John Ableson
Peter and
Micheal Steimer
Mark Kearns
Nelson McArthur
Ruth Finlayson
Eric Seller
Kevin Bates
Lise Monaghan
Larry Watt
George Palis
Leslie Alexander
Thomas and
Barbara Steiner
Stephen Hamilton
Ted Hudson
John and Gail Tracy
Daniel and John Kelly
Lindy Gilpin
Christopher G. Poirier
Gordon Young
Perry Cheslock
Kenneth Ward
Klaus Kloeckner
Ben Hammond
Grant Maclennan
James and Dawn Gaw
George & Rita Payne
Irwin Hayes
Thomas Estermann
David & Kelly Sample
Kenneth Rember
Angus Cleary
Mike Bringans
Fred Wiggins
John Bastian
L & S Cranberry
Danny Arthur
Shamus Morris
Mike Culleton
Christian Bellaar-Spruyt
Bob Griffin
Brian and Neil Lamb
Len Lowden
Benjamin W. Ball
Rodney Wolker
Hugh Salisbury
Leslie Thompson
Gary Cowan
Eddy Whitcher
Wanda Goundry
Carole & Allan
Sutherland
Eric Sanborn
Greg McKee
Scott Judd
Joseph Morris
Brian Drummond
Andrew Eastwoods
Lorne &
my seat. The bus was about half
full when it was time to leave.
Then the driver stood up,
walked back to where I was sitting and politely told me I had
not deposited my fare. I was
embarrassed and replied that I
was connecting from the Metro
and did not know I had to pay a
second time. I paid and the bus
left the station. I made an honest
mistake and had not been trying
to have a free ride.
Why tell this story? As you
know, Quebec law requires all
agricultural producers to pay
annual dues to the UPA. You
must pay even if you do not
want to be a member. Because it
is compulsory, over 90 per cent
of farmers are UPA members.
Ontario farmers are also
required to pay but they may
Shirley McNaughton
Blake Draper
John Clarke
Arthur Hobbs
Ruth Jennings
Ian Warnock
Terry Stuart and
Stuart Collins
Theode Turgeon
Geoff Birrell
George Miltimore
Hugh Sutherland
Mark Richardson
John E. Fox
Arnold Abraham
Neil MacLaren
Susan Mason
Stanley Christensen
Wayne Smith
Steven Latulipe
Alexander Bates
Roderick &
Joan Morrison
Kevin McKell
Winston A. Dewar
Martin Liebl
Colvin Watt
Douglas Beard
Donald Badger
Titus Duheme
Wendel Goundry
Osborne Lowe
Garth Tracy
Brian and Janet Rogers
Jeffey Newell
Kimberly Claxton
Lorie Nesbitt
Morgan Arthur
Peter Bellows
Scott Templeton
Neil Woods
Mark Nitschkie
Lawrence Tracey
Raymond Nitschke
Irvin Brennan
Mavis Hanna
Truman Clark
David McKay
Wallace Barber
Bill Fairbairn
Roy Copeland
John McCart
Ron Strutt
Art Abbey
Caroline Begg
William R. Stewart
Douglas Briden
Malcolm Fraser
Muriel Mosher
Alan Stairs
Jeffrey Blair
Mike MacDonald
Dan Brown
Arthur & Sharon Laberee
Micheal J. Duncan
John Keet
Mark MacVicar
Allan A. Suitor
George Robb
Carl Jackson
choose from among four different farm groups which one they
join, plus if they object to joining
they can apply after the fact and
have their dues refunded.
Imagine what would happen to
the UPA if we had this system in
Quebec!
Membership in the Quebec
Farmers’ Association is entirely
voluntary and has been since its
founding in 1957. However, this
does not mean it is free.
Consider this. While the QFA
is now an official affiliate within
the UPA, it receives no money
from the UPA to finance its operations. There are over 1,700
English-speaking farmers in
Quebec who are UPA members
but fewer than 500 of these are
QFA members. Why are there
not more?
Helen MacRae
Harold & Carolyn Closs
Christoph Mueller
Charles Allan
Joseph Kuchar
Gerard Carbonneau
Leta Dustin
Norman Hoskin
Bruce Weir
George Clark
Paul Steidle
Stephen Olmsted
Peter Ednie
Eric Ednie
Kurt Steinbach
Richard Hornby
Brian Maloney
Barry Husk
Robert Craig
Brent Simpson
Margaret Cheal
Timothy Hancock
Norman Graham
Glen McCartney
John H. Gomery
Steve Heggison
Garfield Hobbs
Bob McClelland
David Larwill
Keith Scullion
David Gowan
Ken Brooks
Percy Zacharias
Douglas Brooks
Ross & Brent Peddie
Allan Bachelder
Gilbert Last
Gordon McGibbon
Dale Miller
Bevin Boyd
Oene Ykema
Ronald Bell
Annie Goldup
Alvin Chrisholm
Vincent Hendrick
Willie Silverson
Frank Fields
Chris McDermott
Wesley Larocque
James Johnston
Brian Paquet
Glen Moore
Micheal Royea
Gertrude Ketcham
Douglas Harpur
Stewart Humphrey
Donald Brownlee
Richard Goodfellow
Matthias Pertschy
Mildred Graham
Jean Gilbert
Harry Morrill
Heinz Kessler
Bill Anderson
John D. Wilson
Stephanie Maynard and
Philippe Quinn
Rodney McMillan
Merrill Hickey
Raymond Dubois
When surveyed, English farmers say they have the greatest difficulty accessing information in
English about what’s happening
in Quebec. This is a major priority of the QFA and we are constantly reminding the UPA,
MAPAQ, CSST and others how
essential it is. English farmers
also say they depend heavily on
the Advocate for information,
without which they would be
even more in the dark.
Another fact you may not
know: English UPA members
currently receive the Advocate at
no cost whereas French producers must pay $60 dollars each
year to receive La Terre de chez
nous. So, you are getting a “steal
of a deal” if you’re not paying a
QFA membership each year.
If you are reading this paper
David Storey
Raymond Wightman
Paul Haldeman
Earl Stanley
Robert Wallbridge
Norma Scullion
Helena O'Connor
Brian Draper
Douglas Mackenzie
Wendall &
Myrna Conner
Norma Brown
Sidney Booth
Lawrence Hooker
Kenny Thompson
Gordon Chrisholm
Scott Harvey
Gerald Brown
John Donaldson
Edith McCallum
Allen and Carol Phillips
William Stevenson
Barrie Drummond
Robert T. Higgins
Brian Conner
Dennis Hayes
Stephen & Valerie Hodge
Edward Vogel
Gerald Dawson
Graham Larocque
Helen & Walter Last
Juidth Farrow
Robert Hoare
Darren Hodge
Allen W. Frizzle
Alan Cullen
John Cullen
Lindsay Laughren
Theda Lowry
Marilyn Harland
Dave & Stephanie Reford
Dr. John McOuat
Brent Mee
Sidney Morrison
Bob Dalton
Joyce & Stanley Martin
Gib Drury
Victor Drury
Alex Drury
Chantal Tie
Harvey & Carolyn Kelly
Rufus Jamieson
Ivan Hale
Ralph Marlin
Frank Retty
David Gibson
Diane Bischof
Frank Liebrecht
Brian Patterson
Robert Waller
Claude Laurin
Douglas and Joy Grant
Earl Titely
Donald Chrisholm
Robert B. Ness
Donald Gabie
John Côté
David Sample
Paul Hodgins
Gordon Boa
Kenneth McOuat
Dwight Cullen
Herbert Parnell
Kent R. Lowry
Bob Bretzlaff
Calvin Morrow
Donald Hadley
Raymond &
Donna McConnell
Paul Werner
Bruce Batley
Chris Judd
Donald Frier
Christopher Hatch
Douglas Perkins
John Standish
Kelly McCormick
Erin Hogg
Alfons Stroebele
Anthony Hungerbuhler
Ronald Silverson
Edward Lemieux
Patrick Kavanagh
Peter Hale
Fred Sundborg
Gary Taylor
Wallace Mosher
James Gallagher
Eric Tomkinson
William Kremmel
Tim Petch
Winston Hodge
Gerald &
Geraldine Langton
Clyne MacDonald
Ingeborg Srkal
Angus &
Elaine K. MacMillan
Micheal Rember
Bernard Hodge
Malcolm Orr
Jennings Derouin
David Greig
Keith Rennie
David Duffin
Andrew Simms
Alan Reddick
Donald Brown
Patrice Levesque
John Thompson
William Brus
Harold Nugent
Brandan Smith
Garry &
Charleen Overton
James St-Cyr
David Marlin
Henry Wilson
Timothy Keenan
John Lindsay
Daniel Berndt
Brent Waller
William Jewett
Gregg Eastwood
George Hayes
Bill Butler
Jean Whelan
Glenn Switzman
Douglas Hadley
Dennis Wallace
and you are not a member you
are essentially a “free-rider”. If
more English farmers were to
pay their $50 QFA memberships, it would make a huge difference. The QFA could organize information days in communities across the province,
expand this newspaper to
include more articles, increase
advocacy and lobbying efforts,
and it could offer more direct
services to members. Equally
important, the QFA’s credibility
would
be
immeasurably
strengthened.
Listed on this page are the
names of all paid up members of
the QFA. To you all I say a heartfelt thank-you for supporting
your organization. To all other
readers, I say please reconsider
joining.
Katherine Brownridge
Glen Enderle
Howard Peterson
Murray McClinctock
Dale P. Chisholm
Wayne A. Sproule
Gary Jack
Richard Thompson
David McGuire
James Barr
Harry Campbell
Edward Johann
Daniel LaLonde
John Lapierre
Tamara Ensio
William Russell
Graham Neil
Albert Cairns
Ian Black
Carine Losito
Greg Vaughan
Jill Leroux
Brian Gainsford
Michael Thompson
Peter Bienz
Eric Seller
John Berrigan
Kathleen Wallace
Gregory Elliot
Lawrence Gleason
Stanley Cheslock
Margot GrahamHeyerhoff
Vernon Gallagher
Brad Andrews
Hans Deringer
William Harriman
John Soesbergen
Danny Morin
Leanord Givis
Helena Houley-Lavallee
Neil Burns
Charles Wilson
Brian Tubman
Robert Johnston
Warren Deacon
Gerry Tully
Morley Smith
Edmund Scott
Shirley Smith-Dineen
Jamie Laidlaw
Lucas Gass
Arline Ingalls-Bleser
Robert Peterson
Grant Burnett
William McMahon
Robert Patterson
Brian Curtis
Lenard Fremeth
Rodger Pfeil
Robert Thiel
Kirk Cavers
Shelley Deacon
Edward Godin
Archie Blankers
Gilbert Campbell
Lambert Dohmen
Xianto Deng
Harold Gillis
Lynne Markell
Perspective—positive for the future!
Dougal Rattray
I left agricultural college in
1992 — a young and impressionable 22 year-old. That was
18 years ago. Every now and
again since then, I have found
myself reflecting on the question, “How are things different
for us now, compared to then?”,
in order that I might gain perspective and therefore, a foil for
adaptation.
We are living now in an ever
more globalized society – the
internet and personal computers may have been heard of in
1992, but they certainly weren’t
everywhere. TMRs had been
around for a year or two. The
World Trade Organization was
still known as the General
Agreement on Trades and
Tariffs. So much has changed.
And yet, so little.
In seeking insight into this
change, I looked on the internet
for food price statistics. What I
found can be summarized in the
table below.
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know”, I
hear you murmur. Yes – I know
that and I know you know that
and I know everyone else inside
and outside the game of agricultural production knows that
– I was told that as a graduate in
1992 and I’ve been hearing it
ever since. I am merely using
this as an example to put today
into context with yesterday,
thus creating perspective —
because this is the world into
which today’s graduates are
entering.
So what of those young aspiring people who are leaving
agriculture college today? Are
they optimistic for the future or
cynical? What will their choices
be? This was the void I was
aiming to fill, when I recently
interviewed some of last year’s
recipients of the Warren Grapes
Fund educational bursary.
Colin Murphy is from
Stanstead East. He sees a desperate need for farmers and
wants to, more than ever,
become a dairy farmer and follow in his father’s footsteps.
When I spoke to Colin, one of
his first comments was that he
felt “he could make a go of
farming and bring in a sufficient income to support himself
solely from the farm.” He sees
investment in technology as one
PHOTO: ANDREW MCCLELLAND
Insights from Warren Grapes recipients Meredith Closs, Ben Nichols, Levi Mason, Marie-Pier Nieuwenhof and Colin Murphy.
Meredith Closs receives her Warren Grapes bursary from Mac Fraser at the QFA’s 2008 annual general meeting.
way forward for the future, to
reduce labour costs and is in
favour of welcoming members
of the public onto the farm, to
increase the understanding of
some of the issues farmers face
today. He also thought that
HISTORICAL DATA
TODAY
COMMODITY
DATE 1
PRICE
DATE 2
PRICE
MILK
JULY 1995
2.477 /GALLON
JULY 2010
3.313 /GALLON
FIELD TOMATOES/lb
JULY 1992
0.81
JULY 2010
1.544
ALL UNCOOKED BEEF STEAK/lb
July 1998
3.671
July 2010
5.544
CHEDDAR CHEESE, NATURAL/lb
July 1992
3.579
July 2010
4.631
WHITE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
July 1992
0.252
July 2010
0.484
(REF: CONSUMER PRICE INDEX – U.S. AVERAGE PRICE DATA)
there could be improvements in
bureaucratic processes and coupled with technology, this
would translate into a better
quality of life for the farmer.
He is currently diversifying the
farm and is nurturing his own
small maple sugaring business.
Meredith Closs lives just outside Shawville on a cow/calf
commercial beef farm. She sees
better marketing and diversification as positive ways to promote the sustainability of the
family farm. She too is optimistic for the future and
expressed the need for sound
management practices and for
good data collection and analysis. Meredith also happens to
represent Quebec 4-H on the
QFA Board of Directors and has
recently come up with an innovative idea to draw upon the
wisdom of the more mature
members of our community,
143506
through a mentoring initiative.
She is currently consulting with
friends and colleagues on this
and we will be asking for your
input on this in coming issues
of the Advocate.
Ben Nichols, Levi Mason and
Marie-Pier Nieuwenhof are,
like Colin, from dairy backgrounds. All have been raised
on family farms and are passionate about what they do.
Levi expressed a willingness to
try something new – whether it
is feed analysis through Valacta
or the purchase of a new TMR.
A point to note from this young
Warren Grapes recipient is, “It
takes more than hard work and
determination to have a profitable enterprise. It takes working smart.” As Marie-Pier puts
it: “The pursuit of agriculture is
a passion and lifestyle, it’s not
all about the money.”
Ben, who notably attended
and contributed at the latest
Estrie UPA English syndicate
meeting, is also optimistic for
the future. Echoing Marie-Pier,
his response to a negative
remark from another in the
room, during a point in the proceedings, he expressed “It’s not
all about the money.
The
younger generation get into
farming because of the lifestyle
as well.”
It’s easy to lose sight of this
and when we, as an industry,
complain about the weather,
the low prices in the market
place, the high costs, the paper
work the . . . . you catch my drift
– what sort of message are we
sending to those coming after
us? We would perhaps be welladvised to listen to the positives
now and again, support them in
coming into our industry and
be proud of the courage that
they display, and not focus so
much on the negatives, but
more on what we can do, collectively, to change the scenario
that has been plaguing us for
over 20 years.
The MAPAQ team of the Outaouais region is pleased to bring you the following information and we hope that it will be useful to you.
Want to start a sheep operation on a solid
financial footing? Then opt for F-1 hybrid ewes.
Christine Miron, agronome
Animal production and
environmental advisor
MAPAQ –
Outaouais-Laurentides
Regional Directorate
Outaouais sector
The following is an extract from
the DVD La Femelle hybide et la
production d’agneaux commerciaux1. This document was produced
in collaboration with the Ovine
Sectoral Table of the Ministère de
l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de
l’Alimentation (MAPAQ).
In sheep production, the profit
margin is relatively small.
Therefore, the purchase of prolific F-1 hybrid ewes is an essential
element in increasing the technical and economic performance of
the flock.
Prolific F-1 hybrid females are
produced by combining two
purebred animals from breeds
having, respectively, maternal
and prolific characteristics. For
example, we could take a purebred ewe of the Romanov breed
and cross it with a purebred
Dorset ram. The female progeny
resulting from this crossbreeding
are, in fact, F-1 hybrid females
that are subsequently used to
form the commercial flock. Once
this flock is formed, it is necessary to breed these F-1 hybrid
ewes with a terminal ram of a
meat breed, such as Suffolk or
Hampshire.
According to Jacques P.
Chesnais, engineer, agronome
and chief geneticist for l’Alliance
Boviteq at the l’Alliance Semex
Research and Development Centre,
hybridization is a universal phenomenon that results in crossbred animals giving a superior
performance compared to the
average of their two parents.
If the same breed is used over
several generations, there is a
tendency to increase inbreeding,
but if we combine two breeds,
where the parents are not related,
inbreeding is reduced to zero.
The advantages of crossbred
lambs are as follows: a ten per
cent decrease in mortality and a
five to six per cent increase in
growth rate. Moreover, certain
other characteristics are positively affected. Thus, as a general
rule, a crossbred ewe produces
about 17 per cent more kilograms
of lambs.
Heterosis (or hybrid vigour)
has a positive effect on the crossbred ewes as well. Indeed, fertility is increased by nine per cent,
maternal growth traits are
increased by six per cent (that is,
the ewe’s capacity to raise her
young) and prolificity is
increased by three. The overall
performance of these crossbred
ewes is 18 per cent higher than
that of purebred ewes.
Therefore, if we add the 17 per
cent for crossbred lambs and the
18 per cent for the crossbred
ewes, the result becomes 35 per
cent. This is a considerable
increase and represents more
than the profit margin of the
average sheep producer. For this
reason, it becomes difficult not to
avail oneself of the benefits of
heterosis in sheep production.
It is normal to see a price difference between an F-1 hybrid ewe
and an F-18 hybrid ewe.
Purchasing an F-1 female is more
expensive and will also prove to
be more difficult at the herd management level, but ultimately, the
producer will be the winner.
According to Claude Côté, a producer of market lambs and purebred Suffolk sheep in Bonsecours,
“You should start with something of good quality, or you
should not start at all. It is not
worth playing around with this.”
You may obtain a copy of this DVD
by contacting the sheep production
advisor at any of MAPAQ’s agricultural service centers.
1
New ideas to meet your continuing
education needs
Maryse Harnois, agronome
Horticultural production
advisor
MAPAQ – Outaouais sector
The Collectif régional en formation agricole de l’Outaouais has
just submitted a very positive
annual report for the past year.
In fact, during the 2009-2010
exercise, the Collectif organized
over 25 training sessions in the
region, involving some 324 participants in the various production sectors.
With the arrival of autumn, the
Collectif has now begun preparations for its next training curriculum. Under the broad themes of
diversification and development, the training sessions and
activities promise to be both
innovative and well-adapted to
the needs of the region’s agricultural businesses. In particular,
emphasis will be placed on management skills, production
diversification,
sustainable
development practices and
value-added products.
For example, here are some of
the course titles on the program
this year: vegetable processing,
cheese production, cutting and
cooking beef, on-farm health and
safety, agricultural pesticide use,
initiation to bee-keeping, developing agritourism strategies,
food health and safety, holistic
management in beef production.
Perhaps you have another
training activity that you would
like to follow? If so, do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Nathalie
Matte, the agricultural training
and continuing education coordinator. She will be pleased to
organize the training activity
that will best help you in the
development if your enterprise.
All that is required to start a session is a minimum of ten participants, a teacher and a classroom.
Here is her contact information:
Nathalie Matte, Agricultural
Training Coordinator
Collectif régional en formation
agricole de l’Outaouais
5 rue Marceau
Ripon (Québec) J0V 1V0
Telephone: 819 983-2293
Fax: 819 983-2493
www.formationagricole.com
It is of interest to note that the
Collectif en formation agricole
receives subsidies from EmploiQuébec
the
Ministère
de
l’Agriculture and the Ministère de
l’Éducation, du Loisir and du
Sport, which allow it to offer
courses and training activities at
a very low cost to its agricultural
clientele.
If you are under 40 years old,
you could also be eligible for the
Programme d’appui au développement des compétences des jeunes
entrepreneurs agricoles [Support
Program to develop the skills of
young agricultural entrepreneurs]. For further information,
please contact your local
Agricultural Service Centre
(CSA).
Take advantage of this offer–
it is designed for you!
Continuing to acquire
new knowledge is essential
in order to ensure the competitiveness of agricultural
businesses and for the sustainable development of the
industry.
McGill feeding McGill
If apples are grown and available at Macdonald, why are we
eating Granny Smiths from New
Zealand?
It seems that this question is on
more than one person’s mind
these days. The motives are simple – to eat the freshest, healthiest
food available, to reduce the environmental impact of our food
choices and to create and maintain sustainable local agricultural
communities.
Students continually demand
that they be given opportunities
to apply the theory taught in class
to
real-world
applications.
Opportunities to do this on a university-wide basis are rare. An
ambitious group of undergraduate students are leading the
charge to examine and revitalize
the University’s relationship with
the food it consumes. Using student research and community
engagement, the McGill Food
Systems Management Project
(MFSP) “intends to maximize the
environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the food
systems of McGill’s campuses.”
The group has spent the last two
summers studying University
food procurement and food/dining systems and is moving ahead
with several pilot projects including
one
that
encourages
University food service providers
to buy “local” whenever and
wherever possible.
As Executive Chef of McGill
Food and Dining Services, Oliver
PHOTO COURTESY MIKE BLEHO
KATHY MACLEAN
Macdonald Campus
Planning & Communications
Senior technician Mike Bleho (right) and assistants survey some of the recently-harvested bounty produced at the Horticulture Centre.
de Volpi prepares and serves
2,700 meals a day to students in
three of the University’s downtown residences. A by chance
conversation between de Volpi
and his uncle, Macdonald alumnus Martin Silverstone, raised the
possibility that de Volpi might
just be able to find a “homegrown” solution to providing students with fresh, healthy local
produce. A weekend tour of the
Macdonald
Horticultural
Services was arranged and a deal
struck for a quantity of fresh
fruits and vegetables to be grown,
harvested and sold to University
Residences. The trial was a
resounding success, thanks to the
enthusiastic effort put forth by
Mike Bleho, senior technician at
Horticultural Services.
De Volpi was so happy with
the pilot project that he tripled his
order for the summer of 2010.
Seizing the opportunity, Plant
Science Chair Philippe Seguin
and Bleho submitted an application
to
the
University’s
Sustainable Project Fund for
funding. The project entitled
“McGill Feeding McGill” was
positioned to not only provide
the output ordered but to meet
student demand for locally
grown foods and provide handson training for students, something they had been requesting
for some time. Funding was
received in the early spring.
In March the partners met to
determine quantities of produce
required, seeds were ordered and
planted, field plans were drawn
up and fields were prepared,
plants were transplanted and
maintained throughout the growing season. Harvesting started at
in mid-August and the first truckload of produce was delivered to
De Volpi at the beginning of
September.
Of the project, de Volpi says:
“It’s not just to attach the Mac
name to the produce; much of the
demand comes from the quality
of the produce that we saw last
year. The best tomatoes we had in
2009 came from Mac. The best
apples that we ate last year came
from Mac. What beautiful peppers, melons, cabbage, onions
and eggplant (I hope the students
like eggplant as much as I do).
We bought as many pumpkins as
we could fit in the dining halls.
The season is not yet over, but
this year I hope that we will be
able to say that Mac was our
biggest fruit and vegetable supplier for the months of August,
September and October. In every
way possible we all end up winning.”
To date nearly 2,000 student
hours have been put into the project and a combined total of 14,000
pounds of apples, cucumbers,
cantaloupes, watermelons, peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic,
cabbage, turnips and cabbage
have been delivered; planning for
2011 is already underway, with
new initiatives in the works. Well
done!
The Quebec Beef Producers Federation
Fédération des producteurs de bovins du Québec
Forage crops and pastures
Fall management practices
Nathalie Côté, agronome
FPBQ
Autumn is an important season to prepare forage and pasture fields for winter survival
and early spring regrowth. For
that to happen, it is necessary to
ensure that the plants are able to
replenish their reserves of sugars and proteins in their root
systems and crowns. That’s why
it’s a good practice to have 15 to
20 cm (six to eight inches) of
stubble in your pastures before
winter arrives.
Two
researchers
from
Michigan State University, DooHong Min and Richard Lee,
point out that autumn is also the
season for regeneration and the
formation of new shoots. Since
the plants are entering their dormant stage in the fall, while
ambient temperatures are dropping and days shortening, the
absorption of nutrients becomes
much slower. With this in mind,
the researchers have several suggestions for the fall management
of your forage crops and pastures.
Soil fertility and liming
Since fertilizer prices are high,
it is important to apply phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in
an effective manner. One of the
best ways to save money is to do
a soil analysis on hay and pasture fields to determine phosphorus and potassium levels.
Potassium is directly related to
winter survival. Thus, levels
lower than optimum make
plants more sensitive during the
winter period. Autumn is also
the best time for liming. Having
the soil pH at its optimum level
is an essential element in obtaining healthy forages. In their
study, Min and Lee confirmed
that grasses generally grow best
at a pH of 6.0 or more, while
legumes do best with a pH of 6.5
or more. For soils with a low pH,
vegetative growth can be quite
poor because of a low absorption of nutrients, which results
in reduced winter survival and
also weed problems.
Management principles
for mowing
Mowing management can
have significant consequences
on the amount of accumulated
reserves required for winter survival. In fact, the stage at cutting,
the date of the previous cut and
the number of cuts are the principal elements to consider. The
cycle on which a plant uses its
nutrient reserves is as follows: at
the beginning of new growth,
the plant uses stored sugars
from the roots to feed the
growth of new roots and leaves.
After about three weeks, the
reserves are practically empty,
but the leaves are now abundant
enough to produce the sugars
necessary for subsequent plant
growth and to replenish root
reserves. Finally, after six weeks,
the reserves reach their full
rebuild its reserves of sugars
and protein in the root system.
That’s why it’s recommended to
observe a “no-cut” period from
early September to early
October.
A cut around the end of
August will allow time for a
complete cycle for accumulating
reserves before the arrival of a
SINCE PLANTS ARE ENTERING THEIR DORMANT STAGE IN THE FALL, WHILE AMBIENT TEMPERATURES
ARE DROPPING AND DAYS SHORTENING, THE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS BECOMES MUCH SLOWER.
capacity. In the natural state, the
plant would then initiate seed
production. However, with
intensive forage management,
the plant is cut before this stage
and the accumulated reserves
are maintained to allow the survival of the plant during winter.
It is generally recommended
that to obtain the best compromise of quality, yield and plant
survival, leguminous plants
such as alfalfa should be harvested when in early bloom.
Fall alfalfa harvesting
At the end of summer and
beginning of fall, alfalfa should
be cut early enough so that it
will have enough regrowth to
killing frost. Furthermore, if it is
not cut again in early October,
the regrowth will cause more
snow to be captured, which
helps with winter survival. On
the other hand, recent studies in
Quebec1 have helped to better
define this period, by showing
that if there is an accumulation
of 500 degree-days since the last
cut, there will be enough alfalfa
regrowth to store sugars before
freeze-up, while at the same
time allowing for good winter
survival and good crop yield the
following year.
As a result, the article concludes producers could cut in
September without doing damage to the plant, as long as the
temperature for the remainder
of the growing season is warm
enough (500 degree-days) before
a killing frost.
Fall pasture management
Most producers like to extend
their pasture season before winter sets in, while at the same
time, encouraging plant growth.
However, this can lead to overgrazing, which can be detrimental to the long-term survival of
the plant cover. For this reason,
the researchers stress the importance of leaving 15 to 20 centimetres (six to eight inches) of
stubble before the arrival of winter, in order to aid in the accumulation of snow and rapid
regrowth in the spring.
Adapted from Ontario Farmer,
September 2008
Other references: “Guide pratique de
gestion des prairies: survivre à l’hiver”
Dura-Club inc. 2005.
“Effets de la régie de coupe et des conditions environnementales sur les
réserves carbonées et azotées associées à
la persistance et au regain printanier de
la luzerne”. CORPAQ Research Report
4352. Authors and collaborators: Yves
Castonguay, Paul Nadeau, Gilles
Bélanger, Raynald Drapeau, Gilles
Tremblay.
The Transition Cow IndexTM
An out-and-out revelation!
It has long been apparent that the transition period plays a crucial role in the success of the lactation that follows.
Daniel Lefebvre, Ph.D.
General Manager
R&D Manager
and
Robert Moore, Ph.D.,
Scientific Manager
R&D, Valacta
Last April, Valacta introduced the Transition Cow
IndexTM (TCI), a new tool
designed to better evaluate and
manage the transition period.
After just a few months, we
have some revealing findings to
share with you, as well as some
recommendations to help you
do even better.
the herds are situated between
these bounds. Nearly 15 per
cent of the herds have a TCI
below –500, which indicates
there is ample opportunity to
improve the transition management of these herds. Indeed,
raising the average TCI of a 60head herd from –500 to 0 represents a gain of more than
$14,000 per year.
According to our analyses, on
an individual basis, the
Transition Cow Index explains
more than 20 per cent of the
variation in the cumulative
milk yield of the complete lactation. But the greatest advantage of the TCI is that it serves
as an indicator very early on in
number of cows removed from
the herd in the first 60 days in
milk is often used to evaluate
the effectiveness of transition
management. Figure 2 clearly
illustrates that an improvement
in the TCI significantly reduces
the risk of culling before 60
days in milk. The graph reports
data on individual cows. So, for
a cow to be taken into account,
she must have had at least one
milk test in order to calculate a
TCI value. This relationship is
even more pronounced at the
herd level, since cows that die
or are removed before the first
test would have been included
as well.
group of cows. When a new
animal is introduced into the
group, a significant increase in
aggressive
behaviour
is
observed for a period of at least
two days. With every regroup-
ing hard and slippery surfaces:
deeply layered bedding or sand
is the ideal surface. Mattresses
covered with a generous quantity of bedding are a viable
alternative, but hard surfaces
ing, a cow must adapt to her
new environment and find (or
be shown) her social rank. This
is a major source of stress
which leads to a decrease in
feeding time, an increase in
evictions from the manger, and
reduced milk production. The
cows’ environment must therefore be managed in such a way
as to minimize the number of
times a cow is moved to another group or pen.
3) Ensure comfort with ample
space: Because transition cows
are at their maximum weight
and somewhat awkward during this period, you need to
ensure they have enough room
to be comfortable. In a group
pen, a minimum of 10 m2 (100
ft2) per cow, excluding the
feeding area, is required. When
calculating space requirements,
it is important to allow for the
fact that calvings are not always
distributed evenly over time,
and you need to be prepared to
accommodate calving “waves”.
If boxes or freestalls are used,
these should be oversized for
transition cows.
4) Ensure comfort by avoid-
are to be avoided during the
transition period.
5) Monitoring and observing
the cows: the final success factor is the ability to be able to
quickly identify cows that need
special attention. This is reliant
on the observational skills of
the breeder and his or her
employees, the implementation
of a screening procedure for
cows, and facilities that make it
possible to examine the cows
without
disturbing
them.
Among other things, it is very
important to be able to rapidly
detect a loss of appetite in
cows—another good reason to
ensure sufficient feeding space
for all cows to eat simultaneously.
In short, as a management
tool, the Transition Cow Index
has already proved to be an
out-and-out revelation. There is
no doubt that great improvements are in store for producers
who opt to use the tool. Talk to
your Valacta advisor or technician about it. And don’t miss
the new Valacta training
course: A Good Dry-Off for a
Better Start-Off.
Success factors
Developed by Dr. Ken
Nordlund, from the University
of Wisconsin, the TCI is calculated by comparing the first test
milk projection to the cow’s
expected production based on
14 parameters specific to the
history of each cow. The difference between these two values,
expressed in kilograms of milk,
is the TCI. Because the index
reflects productivity in early
lactation, it can be used to evaluate the success, or failure, of
the transition period. The tool is
available from Valacta in the
form of two optional reports.
To begin with, it’s interesting
to look at how Quebec herds
fare in terms of their TCI.
Figure 1 shows the distribution
of herds according to their
average TCI. The first thing we
notice is that both the average
and the median are near zero.
We can also see that the 10th
and 90th percentiles are at
approximately – 600 and 500,
which means that 80 per cent of
lactation, so that you can intervene with individual cows if
appropriate, but also to see
where a deterioration in transition management is leading in
terms of productivity, and
quickly make adjustments
before other cows are affected.
According to Dr. Nordlund’s
observations, the TCI will
reflect a change in transition
management up to two months
before the effect is reflected in
the herd average production or
corrected milk value.
Lactation success depends
largely on the cow’s health at
the beginning of lactation,
which is accurately reflected by
the TCI. Cows that experience a
health problem between calving and seven days after the
first test generally have a negative TCI, and this is true for all
of the major diseases associated
with the transition period
(Table 1). But one important
advantage of the TCI—a little
like the cell count for mastitis—
is that it also reflects the
effect of subclinical forms of
health problems, which are
much more prevalent than
the clinical manifestations
of disease and hence have a
greater impact on productivity. That means you can
see the whole iceberg, not
just the tip.
The most drastic consequence of health problems
related to transition is premature culling. In fact, the
Following the initial launch
of the Transition Cow Index in
Wisconsin, Dr. Nordlund and
his colleagues conducted a field
survey that enabled them to
identify five determining factors associated with a successful transition. These factors are
all related to comfort and a
stress-free environment during
the transition period:
1) Feeding space and manger
access: The most critical success
factor is to ensure that transition cows, both before and after
calving, have access to sufficient manger space so they can
all eat at the same time after
fresh feed has been delivered. A
minimum of 90 cm (30 in.) of
linear space per cow at the
manger is recommended. When
headlocks are used, a maximum of eight cows for 10 headlocks is strongly recommended.
We know that headlocks, or
even vertical dividers, result in
reducing the bullying of subordinate cows by the dominant
cows.
2) Minimize social stress as
well as movements between
groups and pens: A social hierarchy is established within any
Destini Broom
Special to the Advocate
Five years ago, Charlotte Scott
and Richard Williams hadn’t
anticipated becoming organic
farmers while bustling along
with their busy lives in Montreal.
But for these first generation
farmers, that’s what a desire for
deeply spiritual, deeply satisfying work and a six-month
apprenticeship can inspire.
Through their media studies
backgrounds and previous work
experiences, both Charlotte and
Richard have developed an
innate sense of, as Charlotte puts
it “working with the community
for the community.” Charlotte
focused on the environment and
culture for her MA thesis, and
previously worked in community radio. Richard wasn’t satisfied
with his MA studies and left to
work with an independent
record company. When he
turned 30, Richard set out to discover what he really wanted to
do with his time.
He secured a six-month
apprenticeship with Tourne-Sol
Co-operative Farm in Les Cèdres, a
five person farm co-operative
located less than an hour’s drive
south-west
of
Montreal
(www.fermetournesol.qc.ca). By
the end of his first day, Richard
knew that he wanted to be
involved in (as Tourne-Sol’s mission statement reads) “promoting and developing organic agriculture as a viable and sustainable food production system.”
After Richard’s apprenticeship
and three seasons working on
organic farms, the couple knew it
was time to combine their skill
sets and forge ahead on their
own. They met up with Anne
Levesque, who introduced them
to an incubator-style farm program located less than 30 minutes from Gatineau. Known as
the Agricultural Platform of
l’Ange Gardien, the program is
an initiative of the Centre for
Research and Agricultural
Technological Development of
the Outaouais Region (CREDETAO), of which Anne is the coordinator.
The program provides participants with ongoing support and
mentorship, infrastructure and
land to farm in order to establish
themselves over the course of
five years. Alongside the technical support and workshops, each
participant has access to a multiuse building (cold room and personal storage rooms, washing
stations, potable water, toilet) a
central field irrigation network,
high tunnels and heated greenhouses, tractors, machinery and
a storage shed. Participants rent
the land, pay for their use of electricity, and pay a membership
fee. These costs differ depending
on which year the participants
are in of their five-year program.
The first three years allow for the
project to establish itself, and the
next two provide room for the
project to grow. Ferme Lève-tôt,
Charlotte and Richard’s project,
is one of five projects operating
some of the 58 acres available in
the program.
Richard and Charlotte are currently near the end of their first
growing season. As field crop
producers they are trying out
about 150 varieties of vegetables
to see what they would like to
continue growing. They sell
approximately two thirds of
their harvests through their
Community
Supported
Agriculture (CSA) program and
the rest through the community
market in Chelsea.
The routine of field work is
both physically and mentally
demanding, yet for Charlotte
and Richard it has also become a
form of meditation and contemplation. They find it deeply spir-
itual to put their hands in the
soil, to be able to make a healthy
income growing food this way
for the community members
who support them. Their satisfaction also comes from knowing
they’re working with their (CSA)
community and it feels quite like
a partnership.
Their farm name, Ferme Lèvetôt, means ‘early riser’, and pays
tribute to their new parental
roles of a growing and nearly 18month-old Emmett, who fortunately loves mucking about in
the fields as much as they do.
Since the Agricultural Platform
program doesn’t offer housing
on the farm, their greatest challenge this year has been balanc-
RICHARD AND CHARLOTTE ARE CURRENTLY NEAR
THE END OF THEIR FIRST GROWING SEASON. AS
FIELD CROP PRODUCERS THEY ARE TRYING OUT
ABOUT 150 VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES TO SEE
WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE GROWING.
PHOTO: DESTINI BROOM
Young farmers start up organically...
Charlotte Scott and Richard Williams are young farmers part of a five year incubatorstyle farm program initiated by the Centre for Research and Agricultural Technological
Development of the Outaouais Region (CREDETAO).
ing the home/farm/childcare
equation.
It’s been a year of learning to
work together, and of finding
their way. While contributing to
a wider ecological farming
movement
Charlotte
and
Richard are also developing a
bond to the land and community
in which they flourish. That can
only mean more good things to
come.
Follow their success online at
http://fermelevetot.wordpress.com.
For further information on the
Agricultural Platform of l’Ange
Gardien program visit www.demarretafermebio.com.
in partnership with
Sharpen your pencils
and your management skills
Interested in improving your farm management skills?
Sign up for an FCC Workshop. With many different workshops to choose from, you’ll find one
to help you build the skills you need to take your operation to the next level.
FCC Workshops*
Vision and Goal Setting
Lévis – Nov. 16
Alma – Nov. 17
Bécancour – Dec. 1
Granby – Dec. 8
Transferring the Farm
Trois-Rivières – Nov. 18
Victoriaville – Dec. 15
Farm Financial Management –
Profitability and Budgeting
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu – Dec. 8
Estate Planning
Joliette – Nov. 24
Saint-Hyacinthe – Dec. 9
Hiring and Keeping Employees
Rivière-du-Loup – Nov. 24
Scott – Nov. 30
*Presented in French
Sign up for a free workshop today at www.fcc.ca/workshops or call 1-800-387-3232 or
1-888-332-3301 for extended hours.
Seating is limited and fills up quickly. Take advantage of this great opportunity
in your area now.
143754
Come to the QFA’s
Annual General Meeting!
Friday November 12, 2010
Centennial Centre Ballroom, Macdonald Campus
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(meet-and-greet with industry vendors starts at 9:00 a.m.)
We’ve changed our format! Take part in
• A “Town Hall” panel discussion and question period with leading
ag experts
• Discussions with panelists at your table over lunch
• Warren Grapes bursary announcements
• Wine and cheese!
$25 for QFA members, $30 for non-members (includes lunch).
Register by calling 450-679-0540 ext. 8536
Symbols for Safety
Wear head protection - Hard hat/helmet
Wear face protection - Face shield
Wear respirator (full face)
143342
There are dozens of hazard
and safety symbols that
you may encounter in
working around your farm.
Below are some pictograms that can appear
on heavy machinery or in
your work area. Each one
is industry-recognized
internationally, and
remembering what they
mean may help you prevent an accident or injury.
To learn more,
visit the Association of
Equipment Manufacturer’s
website at www.aem.org
and click on PICTORIALS
Mental illness? There’s help for Englishspeaking families
Maria Gentle
Education & Outreach
Ami Quebec
Mental illness affects one in
five Canadians in their lifetime.
Why is this health issue so common yet so seldom discussed?
Since 1977, AMI-Québec has
helped families manage the
effects of mental illness through
support, education, guidance
and advocacy. AMI also promotes public awareness about
mental health issues.
Mental
health
can
be
described as a balance in all
aspects of our lives: financial,
physical, emotional, spiritual
and social. Mental health means
we feel good about ourselves
and we express a range of emotions. When we feel in good
mental health, we can usually
face life’s challenges and come
out the other side.
riencing mental health problems. In an effort to reach out to
English communities across the
province, AMI-Québec offers
free workshops and support
groups via a toll-free telephone
line. Families can access information and assistance from the
comfort of their home.
Monthly tele-workshops are
open to family members, people
with mental illness and the
greater community. Moderated
by an AMI staff, the topic is presented by an expert and followed by discussion. Topics
include helping family get support, facts about violence and
mental illness, depression, and
many more.
On March 4, 2010 CBC’s
Breakaway radio program interviewed Brad McDonald from
Vision Gaspé Percé about the
tele-workshops. McDonald suggested that each of the thirty
people who participated may be
related to three or four other
people, so the project has
impacted 150-200 individuals in
his community alone. He also
described the empowerment
and the decreasing sense of isolation. Tele-support groups are
open for family members only.
They are non-judgmental, confidential forums where people
come together to share their
experience and support each
other. A trained facilitator
guides the discussion. The goal
is to have a positive impact on
both family caregivers and ill
relatives, while minimizing the
negative effects of mental illness.
THERE IS SUPPORT FOR
ENGLISH-SPEAKING FAMILIES.
For more information call AMIQuébec at 514-486-1448 or 1-877303-0264. Information is also available at www.amiquebec.org.
Brains get sick too
When are the blues more than
just a response to hard times?
Mental illness is described as a
biological
brain
disorder.
Mental illness is not a personal
defect or a sign of weakness, but
people living with mental illness
often experience a sense of
shame and hopelessness for not
being able to just “snap out of
it”.
Just like physical illnesses,
there are many types of mental
illnesses with different symptoms.
Depression is a prolonged
period of low mood that is combined with guilt, fatigue, irritability, loss of interest in things
that normally bring pleasure,
difficulties with sleep and a
change in appetite.
Bipolar Disorder, once called
manic depression, includes
symptoms of depression, along
with periods of intense “highs”.
Manic episodes are periods of
increased energy and ideas that
are often expressed with a faster
rate of speech. Often there is an
interest in more risk taking
behaviour or an increased sense
of personal power.
Sometimes mental illness can
cause breaks with reality. People
experiencing psychosis may
have delusions, hallucinations
or loose their normal communication skills. Psychotic symptoms can occur with those who
may have schizophrenia but also
severe depression and manic
episodes.
Mental illness can affect a person’s ability to function as well
as their ability to recognize
changes in behaviour and mood.
Getting treatment can involve
medication and therapy from
professionals but without community and family, people miss
a wider array of support that can
make the biggest impact on
recovery.
What can you do?
AMI-Québec works to educate
family members and those expe-
140340
King Arthur’s Round Table
Robert Savage, agronome,
MBA
CEO
Solutions affaires expertsconseils
As its name suggests, King
Arthur’s famous round table
had no ‘head’, implying that
everyone who sat around it had
equal status. It is also where the
knights would discuss, argue
and
develop
strategies.
Surprisingly, almost a millennium later, there is much to learn
from this legend. If you had the
opportunity to gather together
all the professionals involved in
your farm, including people
such as your veterinarian, livestock feeding adviser, accountant, creditor, financial adviser,
could you imagine the strategy
that could result from such a
meeting?
As consultants, we are often
called upon to not only identify
problems, but also to propose
solutions. Some problems can be
solved rather easily, whereas
others have roots so deep into so
many aspects of the farm business that one has no choice but
to delve more deeply into the situation. Not to do so would be
like applying a band-aid over an
open-heart surgery. For example, who would believe that hiring a babysitter can contribute to
an improvement in calving performance? Being a single parent
and feeling that he couldn’t
leave his young children at
home by themselves, a farm
owner would wait for them to
board the school bus before
going to the barn to milk his
cows. As a result, he would
enter too late to properly detect
any cows in heat.
This ‘calving mystery’ was
solved through a simple, yet
very effective process, involving
what
we
call
the
Multidisciplinary
Operating
Committee, which unites all the
resources and professionals
involved in the farm business.
The success of such a group is
based on the recognition of the
interdependency of all its members, mutual respect and a clear
commitment in to improve farm
performance and profitability.
The inclusion of a master of
ceremonies or mediator, most
likely an agronomist, is mandatory in order to allow everyone
to contribute, thus allowing the
discussion to remain open and
free of any judgemental comments, as well as to keep the discussions on track and pertinent.
The mediator is also responsible
to call the meetings, monthly or
quarterly, depending of the farm
situation and the emergencies of
the issues, to clearly state the
objectives to be attained, to
establish the agenda and report
the proceedings. If the first
meeting is mainly dedicated to
becoming acquainted with each
other and to share a common
knowledge of the farm situation,
then all the members will depart
with an assignment in preparation for the next meeting. This is
not a social club, and such meetings are not necessarily free of
charge. Some professionals will
require reimbursement for time
and travel, while others will
include the meetings within
their regular work schedule.
This structured process can
also allow the farm owner to
identify his weakest team members, thus giving him the chance
to re-evaluate the quality of his
business relationships. If a member of the group attends unprepared, without the required documents or data to properly support the objectives, does not participate in the discussions and
never seems to have an answer,
he may very well find himself in
the ejection seat. This may be the
result of his incompetence or the
fact that his hands are tied by his
own business. Both situations
are equally unproductive.
How do we know when it is
time to sit everybody at the same
table? When from the narrow
perspective of each of the individuals serving the farm business, everything is fine, but
when viewed overall it is obvious that the farm’s health is
clearly declining or that problems seem insoluble. But the
best reason for involving a
Multidisciplinary
Operating
Committee is the rapid response
time of the process. No
grapevine telegraph, no pass the
puck to another professional,
and no this-is-not-my-concern
approaches.
Everyone
is
involved, on the spot and striving to attain well-defined goals.
By the way, provided that you
have lots of coffee ready, a table
of any shape will do.
Having worked for over 16 years
for various organizations—including the Caisse populaire Desjardins,
the Office du crédit agricole du
Québec and Farm Credit Canada—
Robert Savage, founder of Solutions
affaires experts-conseils, has established an innovated approach to
farm consulting services. With the
help of a multidisciplinary team of
experts, Solutions affaires expertsconseils can get your farm on its
way to greater profitability by
working with your existing
resources and by having access to a
network of professionals involved in
agri-business.
King Arthur’s famous round table is a
good model for making decisions around
your farm—where everybody needs to feel
their input is appreciated and understand
the problems facing the business.
Looking Back…
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Quebec Farmers’ Advocate. Take a
look at this item, which ran in the fourth issue of the Advocate back in
October of 1980, when the paper was still called the “Quebec Farmers’
Association Newsletter”—
DEVOTION TO DAIRY
It’s a delicate balance when both
generations work the farm
Paul Meldrum
Manager
Macdonald Campus Farm
The transition of a farm from
one generation to the next is a
delicate affair. It is a balancing
act, actually, with the unbridled
enthusiasm of youth on one side
and the tempered wisdom of
experience on the other. The
young son or daughter goes off
to ag school and is exposed to a
whole new variety of experiences and ideas and returns
home with a tidal wave of suggestions that can be overwhelming to the parents. This is not
necessarily a bad thing. In fact
that is the role of schools like
Macdonald College. Challenge
young people to think, encourage them to question accepted
practices and show them top
notch management and animal
husbandry. This in turn, can be
challenging for the parents.
Long before they graduate,
the kids are coming home on
weekends with suggestions for
doing things differently and
questioning the validity of the
status quo. They will see many
different farms during the
course of their education, each
one doing at least one or two
things extremely well, and come
home expecting Mom and Dad
to do everything well. They will
UPCOMING
EVENTS
often compare their home farm
to an impossible standard, one
that is a compilation of the best
of all the farms they have seen.
While the intentions are good,
and the ideas sound, it can make
life difficult for the parents.
One dairy farmer mentioned
to me recently at the annual
Vente des Basses Laurentides in
Lachute that his son is full of
suggestions, but if he followed
every one of them, he wouldn’t
have time for anything but
work. This is, of course, where
the experience steps in. An
older friend of mine once told
me, when I admonished him for
taking a half hour lunch break
while we were chopping corn
silage, “I don’t live to farm, I
farm to live”. What he was saying was there has to be a balance. Those who are older tend
to be more careful, more cautious, more conservative in their
thinking, and in spending
money. But they have seen a lot,
have a lot of experience and
know that quite often, things are
not always as they appear.
Younger people tend to take
more risks, and are more willing
to try new technologies and
practices.
I have seen instances where a
young person comes home and
convinces the parents to borrow
heavily to do a major expansion,
then in a few years loses interest
or has a spouse who loses interest, and the parents who were in
reasonable financial shape and
looking forward to retirement
are suddenly saddled with a
huge mortgage. On the other
side of the coin, I have seen parents who simply cannot find it
within themselves to relinquish
control, and thwart the plans of
a returning son or daughter at
every turn. The enthusiasm is
eventually doused and the son
or daughter leave the industry.
The home farm is eventually
sold off and the years of a family
working together end in bitterness.
But this dichotomy doesn’t
necessarily have to lead to conflict. The most successful farm
transitions have resulted from a
blending of youth and experience. In many ways, it is up to
the older generation to take the
lead by stepping back a little to
allow the new blood the opportunity to forge ahead, while
holding the reins just enough
that they don’t run off out of
OUTSTANDING YOUNG FARMERS
OF CANADA CONTEST
Quebec section
control. This can sometimes be
difficult because the parents will
often feel that the son or daughter is trying to “re-invent the
wheel”—they’ve seen it before.
On the other hand the younger
partner has to learn from
his/her own experiences, and
often their “new ideas” will lead
to a successful “refurbishing” of
the wheel and a pleasant surprise to the older folks.
It comes down to give and
take on both sides. If both parents and children want to see the
farm business progress, then
there has to be a willingness to
let go on the part of the parents,
and an understanding on the
part of the younger person that
moving into a partnership and
making changes is a progressive
process that does not and should
not happen overnight.
It is indeed, all about balance.
Paul Meldrum is the manager of
McGill University’s Macdonald
Campus Farm. In the past, he has run
successful dairy operations in both
Ontario and New York State, hosted
and produced CJOH TV’s “Valley
Farmer,” and has been heard on agriculture reports for CBC Radio Noon
in Ottawa.
THANK YOU
TO OUR SPONSORS!
Honorary President
of the 29th edition
Mr. Mario Jean
Sales manager
The 34th annual Symposium sur les bovins laitiers
OUTSTANDING
YOUNG
FARMERS
OF CANADA
—October 28, 2010
Organized by the Comité bovins laitiers du CRAAQ and FPLQ
Best Western Hôtel Universel, Drummondville, QC
915 rue Hains, Drummondville, QC
Info: 1-888-535-2537 or [email protected]
Quebec Farmers’ Association Annual General Meeting
—Friday, November 12, 2010
Centennial Centre Ballroom, Macdonald Campus,
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC.
RECORD PARTICIPATION
The 29th edition of the Outstanding Young Farmers of
Canada Contest (Quebec section) was held this past
September 1st at the Hôtel des Seigneurs in Saint-Hyacinthe.
The event was a great success, once again this year, as
more than 550 people participated.
2010 TOP WINNERS
Call (450) 679-0540 ext. 8536
to register or write to [email protected]
Mr. Jean-François Lemieux
and Mrs. Mylène Gagnon
Journées partenaires en production laitière
—November 24 and 25, 2010
Organized by MAPAQ de la Chaudière-Appalaches VALACTA - CIAQ HOLSTEIN QUÉBEC GCA de Québec-Beauce RAC de la Chaudière-Appalaches CAB
Hôtel Le Journel Resto-Bar et Centre récréatif de
Saint-Henri de Lévis
269, Route 276 in Saint-Joseph and 120,
rue Belleau in Saint-Henri
PARTNER SPONSORS
Ferme VALMIEUX inc.
Dairy and cereal
production
COLLABORATING SPONSORS
THE 2010 FINALISTS
FRIEND SPONSORS
From left to right :
Mr. Martin Lavallée and Mrs.Isabelle Marcoux of Ferme Belvallée inc. in SaintMarc-sur Richelieu, Mr. Jean-François Lemieux and Mrs. Mylène Gagnon of
Ferme Valmieux inc. in Saint-Vallier, Mrs. Isabelle Hardy and Mr. Yvan Bastien
of Ferme Géobastien & fils senc in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines.
143338
Unique Mystic barn inaugurated
PHOTO: MATTHEW FARFAN
Matthew Farfan
The Sherbrooke Record
Mystic’s unique 12-sided Walbridge Barn has been restored and a new agreement with the Missisquoi Historical Society will see it used
to display rare agricultural artifacts.
T HE NE W AGRI-QUÉBEC
SAV INGS ACCOU N T
Twice as rewarding!
AGRI-QUÉBEC is a rewarding solution to ease your financial risks and allow you to
invest in your operation’s efficiency.
Deposit an amount annually and La Financière agricole du Québec (FADQ)
will match that amount, up to $45,000* or 3%* of your allowable net sales.
About a hundred people were
on hand for the official ribboncutting at the famous 12-sided
Walbridge Barn in Mystic, near
Bedford. Classified as a heritage
site by the province of Quebec in
2004, the barn was built in 1882
by industrialist and gentleman
farmer Alexander Walbridge.
After remaining in the
Walbridge family for generations, the unique barn, along
with the surrounding property,
is now the property of the
Walbridge Conservation Area
Foundation, which is made up
largely of Walbridge descendants and which manages the
property. An agreement has
been reached, however, with the
Missisquoi Historical Society,
based in Stanbridge East, whereby the historical society will use
the barn to display its extensive
collection of rare agricultural
artifacts.
Members of the Walbridge
family,
including
Frances
Walbridge,
Alexander
Walbridge’s
granddaughter,
were on hand for the grand
opening. So too were board
members, staff and volunteers
of the Missisquoi Historical
Society, all of them beaming
with pride at their new exhibition space.
MHS
President
Michel
Barrette told the Record that the
project had been several years in
the making. None of it, he said,
would have been possible without the foresight and generosity
of the Walbridge family and the
foundation they created to manage their illustrious ancestor’s
legacy. Barrette explained that
about three years ago, the foundation and the historical society
‘’approached one another’’
about collaborating on a project
to restore the barn to its former
grandeur and put it to an appropriate use.
According to a plaque on the
wall of the barn, the restoration
cost in excess of a half a million
dollars. The lion’s share of the
funding came from the Ministry
of Culture and from various
members of the Walbridge family, with significant contributions
from other charitable foundations, the MRC, the Municipality
of Saint-Ignace-de-Stanbridge
(where Mystic is located), and
numerous private and corporate
donors. The bill for the interior
museum exhibition came in
around $150,000, about twothirds of which was funded by
the Ministry of Culture, Barrette
said. The exhibition and the conversion of the barn to its new
vocation were overseen by the
Montreal-based firm, Cultura.
‘’This is truly a dream come
true for all of us,’’ said Barrette
of the restored barn with its
beautiful exhibition space. That
sentiment was echoed by MHS
Vice-President François Reid
and by Missisquoi Museum
staffers Heather Darch, Judy
Antle and Pamela Realffe, all of
whom were present for the ribbon-cutting.
A stroll around the two levels
of the barn reveals an array of
fascinating agricultural artifacts
large and small, with bilingual
interpretive panels and other
colourful displays, all with this
highly unusual barn as a backdrop. Each of the twelve bays, or
mows, within the structure is
devoted to a different theme
related to the agricultural past of
Missisquoi County.
Suspended from the top of the
barn’s conical ceiling, the original mechanism for rotating a
large turntable in the centre of
the barn is still in place. The
turntable, much like the railroad
turntables of days gone by,
enabled fully laden wagons to
enter the barn and to be rotated
to the appropriate storage bay,
where they would then be
unloaded.
Both
the
Walbridge
Foundation and the Missisquoi
Historical Society hope that the
Walbridge Barn will become an
important regional heritage
attraction, which, together with
the Missisquoi Museum in
Stanbridge East, will help to preserve and promote the history of
this part of the Eastern
Townships.
This article originally appeared
in The Sherbrooke Record
© 2010 The Record (Sherbrooke)
Starting in 2010, all farming and aquafarming operations can benefit from
this protection that covers almost all products.
Save the Date!
Agri-Québec is an additional savings program that is complementary to the
AgriInvest program.
Simple and easy!
2010 Quebec Farmers’
Association Annual
General Meeting
If you already participate in AgriInvest, there is nothing for you to do since
you will automatically be registered. La Financière agricole will contact you
at the beginning of 2011 when the operations to gather the 2010 financial
information get underway.
When :
Friday, November 12, 2010
Location :
Macdonald College,
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC
If you are not contacted by FADQ and want to benefit from the new
Agri-Québec program, please contact us at 1 800 749-3646
* The maximum is $54,000 or 3.6% for aquaculture
www.fadq.qc.ca
143772
Dairy quota is scarce in
Quebec, sometimes preventing
producers from going ahead
with their expansion projects as
fast as they would like. It is true
that dairy farmers are paying less
for quota since the introduction
of a price ceiling, but this is offset
by the fact that there is less production quota available at each
sale
conducted
by
the
Centralized
Milk
Quota
Exchange System (CMQES).
Over the past six months, frustration over the issue has gone up a
notch, pushing some farmers to
find original methods of achieving their objectives more quickly.
For example, some producers
will sell their entire quota and
then purchase a farm that holds a
larger quantity of quota, thus
avoiding the CMQES altogether.
As a result, the Fédération des
producteurs de lait du Québec
(FPLQ) decided on August 31 to
modify the regulations regarding
dairy quota, in order to avoid the
creation of a parallel market that
would create two classes of buyers. Practically speaking, richer
producers could, in fact, use this
type of strategy even if they have
to pay more for the quota—
something others would not be
able to do. Also, the quota sold
on this parallel market would
decrease the quantity available
on the Centralized System,
where there is already a scarcity.
The new regulation would
stipulate that, in the future, all coowners of a farm, where all the
quota has been sold, would not
be allowed to buy new quota for
a certain period unless they did it
through the centralized system.
Furthermore, the farm would not
be able to be used, at least temporarily, for dairy production
unless the quota is purchased
through the CMQES. These
changes must be approved by the
Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires du Québec before coming into effect.
A scarcity
The FPLQ explains this shortage of quota partially by the fact
that dairy producers wish to
remain in this production and
keep their quota. It is also true
that the alternative of switching
to other productions (cash crops,
pork, beef, etc.) is not very
appealing at the present time.
Now, producers must quit dairy
production in order for quota to
become available for the CMQES.
In Quebec, these departures represent about two to three per cent
each year. However, this relative
stability also ties into one of the
concerns addressed by the
Quebec dairy producers’ strategic plan for 2007-2017, namely to
maintain a minimum of 5,000
dairy farms of human scale,
spread over all regions of the
province. Moreover, available
quota also depends on increasing
the market demand for dairy
products. With the market for
milk at its maturity in Canada,
this rise now follows the population curve and is somewhat slow,
if not nil. All of these phenomena
explain why the expectations of
dairy farmers wishing to expand
their operations cannot be quickly satisfied.
The federation emphasizes that
this scarcity of quota is not limited to Quebec. In British
Columbia, quota is also rare and
it sells for $40,000 per kilo of butter fat.
The one per cent increase in
non-saleable quota, in effect since
last August 1 and bringing it to
5.5 per cent, along with the two
PHOTO: BEATRIZ SALAS
FPLQ wants to avoid a parallel
quota market
In British Columbia, not unlike Quebec, quota is also rare, often selling for $40,000 per
kilo of butter fat.
on quota sales—at least that is
what the federation is hoping.
extra production days for the
months of August, September,
October and November, will no
doubt be a breath of fresh air for
producers and ease the pressure
Jean-Charles Gagné
LTCN 2010-09-23
Municipal leaders are worried over
ASRA reform
PHOTO: CARL THÉRIAULT
Municipal leaders in the
Lower-Saint-Lawrence region,
particularly the MRC prefects, are
very worried about the current
turn of events in the agricultural
sector and the resulting impact on
the region.
Chantale Lavoie, prefect for the
MRC de la Matapédia considers the
new stabilization insurance policy to be very alarming. “The situation is worrisome and dangerous. Why not strengthen our agricultural base, while promoting
diversification and innovation at
the same time?” Lavoie asked.
“There are only two agricultural municipalities remaining in my
MRC that are progressing,”
declared Bertin Denis, prefect for
the MRC des Basques. “The others
are in a sorry state. La Financière
has broken the social contract
with farmers, who have committed themselves to provide quality
products in exchange for a decent
price.”
Small farms are
disappearing
Gilles Pigeon, prefect for the
MRC Rimouski-Neigette, maintains that large farms are not necessarily synonymous with profitability. “By eliminating small
farms, we are closing the door on
young farmers. It is deplorable to
judge small farms and newlystarted enterprises based only on
In the Lower-Saint-Lawrence region, as in Témiscamingue, farms are often in mixed production. Many elected municipal officials are
expressing concern about the changes announced in the ASRA programs.
profitability criteria. It puts the
survival of the rural community
at risk.”
According to Yvon Soucy, prefect for the MRC de Kamouraska,
“In Kamouraska over the past
several years, farms are consolidating. There are fewer small
farms. However, there is a definite pride in agriculture here,
with the presence of the Institut de
technologie agricole-La Pocatière
campus, the research centres and
the Agrobiopole du Bas Saint
Laurent.”
The prefect of the MRC de
Matane,
Yvan
Imbeault,
believes that agriculture is
heading towards megafarms.
“Farms with limited means will
no longer be able to make a
profit. Farms in our small villages are not being bought up.
They are closing down.
Without government subsidies,
agriculture will disappear.”
The prefect for MRC Rivièredu-Loup, Michel Lagacé, maintains that “the government
must support a strong, prosperous and diversified agricultur e. But changes must be
made in agriculture, as in other
sectors. You cannot keep an
enterprise alive artificially for
very long. And farmers do not
want that. However, everything costs so much in agriculture.”
In 2007, the 2,178 farms of the
Lower Saint-Lawrence region
(2,242 in 2004) generated revenues totalling $350 million, of
which almost $200 million was
from dairy production, nearly
$40 million from grains and oil
crops, $30 million from pork
production, $30 million from
beef and veal, and $26 million
from maple production.
Carl Thériault
Special collaborator
LTCN 2010-09-23
UPA of the future:
it’s your turn to speak
The start of sectoral and
regional meetings will soon
mark the launch of the second
phase of consultations regarding
UPA of the future, an important
step to allow the current project
to be improved upon before the
General Congress in December.
This is your opportunity to be
part of it.
Reformulated following the
first consultation round, the new
proposal being distributed takes
into account the comments and
fessionals, who will be allowed
to concentrate less on administrative duties and more on working in the field with all producers.
UPA of the future also proposes
to match up the territories of the
local syndicates with those of the
MRCs, and those of the regional
federations
with
Quebec’s
administrative regions—two elements with which almost all producers were in agreement during a survey done in the spring
of 2009—and rightly so.
For example, gone are the syndicates partially spanning one,
two and sometimes even three
MRCs. Matching the territories
of a local syndicate with that of
the MRC only makes good sense.
Farmer representation directed
towards local leaders will thus
be strengthened, bringing more
The pressure is rising
on Quebec farms
Christian Lacasse
UPA President
The UPA has been repeating this since
December 2009: the measure that excluded 25 per cent of farms from the calculation of production costs is untenable.
Therefore, it is not surprising to see the
problem resurface now as winter
approaches, with protests by an increasing number of farmers who have
announced that they will withhold the
privilege of access to their farmland.
Yet, a general call for action along these
lines has not been issued by the UPA confederation. Rather, the movement is
spontaneous and illustrates the despair
that many farmers feel as they find themselves with their backs against the wall.
The pressure on them is enormous —
financial pressure, of course, and also
concern about losing all that they have
invested years and years to build. The
method that they are using to show their
distress was not chosen cheerfully, since
it could, itself, lead to problems and risks.
However, did they have any other
choice? The way they see it, it is the only
choice remaining in hopes of getting
Quebec to listen.
The elected officials of one region at the
heart of the storm, Saguenay-Lac-SaintJean, agree wholeheartedly and have
called on the government to return to a
more conciliatory position. “This situation shows that the conflict between the
UPA and the government has not been
able to be settled through conciliation,
and this is harmful,” deplored Georges
Bouchard, chairman of the region’s
Conférence régionale des élus (CRÉ). “The
stakes are high for Saguenay-Lac-SaintJean”, he insisted. “It is imperative that
the two parties find a solution to this conflict rapidly.”
Let’s review the situation again: the
allocated budget, coupled with the majority
of
budget-cutting
measures
announced in the fall of 2009, is already
sufficient to permit La Financière agricole
du Québec (FADQ) to operate within its
financial framework. The 25-per cent
measure is just too much! It slashes the
stabilized income in an arbitrary manner,
to the point where the margin between it
and production costs becomes so great
that it will push the majority of affected
producers to the breaking point. Even if
they could become more efficient, they
would simply not be able to survive.
The most recent FADQ figures confirm
it. Even before the introduction of this latest 25-per cent clause, between 14 and 24
per cent of farms in the various production sectors have dropped out of the
ASRA program since 2008. If the FADQ
does not rethink its targets and rescind
this measure, we can only expect the
worst. Moreover, government officials
are wrong if they think that the $20 million announced in the fall of 2009, under
the label “adaptation measures”, will
remedy the situation. You can counteract
the effect of an $80 million cut with $20
million! It would only be a cosmetic solution. Not to mention the fact that the
effectiveness of such measures is far from
proven. Just ask the producers in the
Abitibi region, when Quebec and Ottawa
together announced close to $4 million of
such measures in February 2010. These
same producers were the first to call for
withholding the privilege of access to their
farmland as a form of protest.
I can well understand that the affected
regions may condemn the impact this
action by farmers may have on their local
economies. However, they forget that the
measure presently being denounced by
our members could have dire consequences on these same regions — not only
on agriculture, but also on the economy of
all the businesses that gravitate around our
activity sector (suppliers, food processors).
Before long, this heartfelt cry by farmers
could well end up being their own, if agriculture is allowed to collapse.
LTCN 2010-09-30
consistency and cohesion to our
collective representation.
In addition to improving efficiency, the new configuration of
the regional federations will
make them even more of an
essential player at the regional
level. A new dynamic will
emerge when it is time to discuss
the development of agriculture
in rural regions, whether it be
with regard to the “logic” of a
PDZA (Development Plan for
the Agricultural Zone) or a
development plan for a production sector.
All of these changes will
require both adaptation and flexibility: over half of the local syndicates will be amalgamated and
realigned, while seven regional
federations will be directly
affected by matching them with
the administrative regions.
However, such a change is
absolutely necessary if we want
to ensure the long-term sustainability of our organization and to
position it so that our interventions with other regional and
sectoral stakeholders will be
even more pertinent and effective. It is also necessary in order
that each dollar that you pay in
can continue to be used in the
best way possible.
The opportunity for significant
change does not come around
often. And I remind you that
these are changes that you have
repeatedly asked for. However,
even more importantly—it is
your chance at the grassroots
level to contribute to the vision
of the future of your organization. It’s your turn to speak!
LTCN 2010-09-23
“Operation Charm”
should change luck
Quebec rabbit is poised to regain its
place on consumers’ plates and grocers’
shelves. To do this, producers are counting
on a line-up of well-know chefs.
Quebec’s rabbit producers have not had
an easy time. The past few years have been
plagued with surpluses, fierce competition
with Ontario and the closing of the most
important rabbit slaughterhouse in the
province. Now, the tide seems to be turning, but the crisis has left lasting scars. A
recent study by the firm Zins Beauchene et
associés (ZBA) revealed that 83 per cent of
Quebec consumers know little or nothing
about rabbit meat, which presently ranks
fourth among specialty meats, after lamb,
duck and large game meat.
In order to win over consumers, rabbit
producers have recruited six chefs, including Jérôme Ferrer of the renowned Europea
and Éric Gonzalez of the well-known
restaurant Le Saint-Gabriel in Old Montreal.
Stephano Faita and Philippe Mollé, two TV
commentators who enjoy high public
recognition, have also agreed to support
Quebec rabbit. This star line-up has prepared a dozen recipes, some of which are
old classics that have been dusted off. “The
chefs have agreed to put rabbit back on
their menus. The wheels are now beginning to turn, but we must be patient,”
explained Micheline Vallée, the media
offensive coordinator.
In order to increase awareness about rabbit, Vallée intends to use the same strategy
that was used to put duck, which was relatively unknown until very recently, onto
the dinner plates of the province. This
media relations specialist praises the merits
of rabbit meat—delicate, tender, very tasty
and a nice alternative to many other meats
and poultry. Thus, cooks can prepare rabbit cacciatore, rabbit à-la-king and rabbit
blanquette, among others. Low in fat and
sodium, rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus, rabbit receives a high score from
the nutritional point of view.
At the Syndicat des producteurs de lapins du
Québec, there is much optimism. “The market signals are showing us a glimmer of
hope. We can sense a trend for the better,”
exclaimed Julien Pagé, the organization’s
president. The slaughter rate is running at
5,000 rabbits per week, or about 80 per cent
of the sector’s real capacity.
“We have been self-controlling our production levels for two years now. Our
short-term objective is to allow our producers to regain 100 per cent of their production capacity,” Pagé added. The SPLQ is
impatiently waiting for approval from the
Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires for
its new marketing regulations. This new
series of rules will coincide with the marketing agreement signed with buyers in
2009. With rabbit meat consumption at 70
grams per person per year, Quebecers are
far behind their Italian cousins, who eat
five kilograms per year! In Quebec, about
40 farms market a total of some 300,000
rabbits annually.
Julie Mercier
LTCN 2010-09-23
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LAPINS DU QUEBEC
Christian Lacasse
UPA President
suggestions that you made to us.
In particular, you will see an
increase in the number of territorial directors per syndicate and
the reintroduction of a representative from each specialized
group present in the region to
the regional federation’s Board
of Directors.
During your discussions, it
will be important to keep in
mind the fundamental principals
that form the foundation of UPA
of the future—namely, the effectiveness of our representation
and our connection with our
grassroots—meaning you, the
producers. We must keep these
objectives in the forefront at all
times.
What the UPA of the future proposes are local syndicates supplied with better tools and able
to count on the support of pro-
Well-known chefs have agreed to concoct new recipes for rabbit, during a media blitz called “Operation Charm”,
organized by the Syndicat des producteurs de lapins du Québec.
The news arrived like a bombshell last week and to the utmost
surprise to Odile Comeau, the
Director-General of the Conseil
pour le développement de l’agriculture du Québec (CDAQ), especially since no reporter had taken the
trouble to contact her to get her
version of the facts. Indeed, many
media outlets in the province had
picked up on an article from an
agricultural media source that
accused the organization of being
a branch of the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), used for the
distribution of federal money. In
responding to this charge, Ms.
Comeau declared that the CDAQ
is a “third party” organization
that administers federal programs, but also other programs
entrusted to it by the Ministère de
l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de
l’Alimentation
du
Québec
(MAPAQ).
It is true that the CDAQ, created in 1996, has a mandate to
administer, among other things,
federal funds allocated for projects that support farmer autonomy, the environment and the
development of markets for agricultural products. It is also a fact
that this organization was created as a result of an agreement
between
the
UPA
and
Agriculture
and
Agrifood
Canada (AAFC). However, it
should be noted the CDAQ is
required to respect federal criteria and guidelines, not the UPA’s.
The board of directors therefore
cannot disregard these federal
guidelines under any circum-
PHOTO: BEATRIZ SALAS/TCN
CDAQ — a partner, not a federal ATM
Since the creation of CDAQ in 1996, 250 groups and organizations have benefited from funding and advisory services, with over 1,800 projects and activities supported.
stances. Since its creation fourteen years ago, the CDAQ has
managed various programs for
AAFC and MAPAQ. Presently, it
administers the funds for nine
programs, the main one being the
Canadian
Agricultural
Adaptation Program (CAAP)
which comes from AAFC. One of
the principal criteria to obtain
funding from these programs is
to be an agricultural business or a
group or organization associated
with agriculture. Consequently,
all producers are eligible, as well
as the UPA, but this does not
mean that all of the projects presented are automatically accepted. “As of July 31 (the end of the
financial year), the UPA had submitted four projects, of which
only one was accepted,” declared
Comeau. Along the same lines,
Line McGuire, a CAAP manager,
commented on the functioning of
the program. “An independent
civil servant analyses the applications, one by one and totally
independent of one another.
Finally, it is the board of directors
that decides. We have an observer on the board without voting
rights, but who does have a right
to veto.”
Therefore, the CDAQ must
undergo evaluations by the federal government and if it does not
meet the objectives and criteria, it
transformation alimentaire (FDAT),
while two-thirds goes to the production sector, managed by the
CDAQ. On our side, we are lucky
to have the UPA, which is an
organization representing producers.” Comeau also emphasized that, in this regard, it is normal that the UPA involves itself
in her organization, because solutions must come from the industry itself and, indeed, the UPA is
directed by farmer representatives from all regions and all production sectors.
could very well see its mandate
cancelled. It also comes under the
watchful eye of the Auditor
General of Canada, as do all of
the other Adaptation Councils in
Canada. Thus, this situation is
not unique to Quebec. Presently,
there are fourteen similar agreements in effect across Canada
with organizations of this nature.
What is particular in the Quebec
agreement is the division of the
CAAP budget envelope, according to McGuire. “The funds are
divided into two parts. One third
goes to an organization that manages the programs dealing with
the food processing sector, namely the Fonds de développement de la
Julie Roy
LTCN 2010-09-30
The Éleveurs de volailles du
Québec (ÉVQ) will be lending
production quota to farmers
already active in chicken production, with an objective of helping
to establish at least 15 new poultry enterprises per year, starting
in 2011. The Régie des marchés
agricoles et alimentaires du Québec
(RMAAQ) gave its approval on
September 1 to the new
Programme d’aide à la relève agricole [Young Farmer Support
Program]. As a result, the ÉVQ is
committed to distribute a maximum of 3,000 square metres of
quota each year, in the form of
loans not to exceed 200 square
metres each, for a maximum
period of 17 years.
The ÉVQ hopes the project will
ensure the long-term sustainability of chicken production on family farms in Quebec. In 2009 there
were 776 holders of chicken
quota and 133 holders of turkey
qu ota in the province. Sixty-six
farms produce both chickens and
turkeys.
According to ÉVQ’s directorgeneral, Pierre Frechette, 200
square metres of chicken quota
corresponds to about 15,000
birds and generates a net income
of $13,000 per year, at presentday prices.
“At that production level, producers often do their own marketing of eviscerated chickens, in
order to obtain the maximum
income from their production,
rather than selling directly to the
abattoirs,” Frechette explained.
The average size of a poultry
operation in Quebec is about
3000 square metres. Moreover,
the value of 200 square metres is
estimated to be worth about
$200,000. Quota was selling at
around $1,000 per square metre
in January 2010, before the ÉVQ
suspended transactions, except
for those within the same family,
in order to avoid speculation.
The quota that has been put
aside for the Young Farmer
Support Program will come, in
part, from an increased demand
for chicken. Chicken production
in Canada rose by 52.5 per cent
between 1990 and 2000. This
increasing demand continued
PHOTO: BEATRIZ SALAZ/TCN
Refundable quota loans for young farmers
will create 15 farms each year
A loan of 200 square metres of chicken quota corresponds to about 15,000 birds and generates a net income of $13,000 per year.
throughout
the
following
decade, but at a slower pace
(about 13 per cent), and in 2007, it
exceeded one billion kilos. The
equivalent of 3,000 square metres
will be loaned out even if there is
no increased demand, thanks to
the continuation of the deductions already in place from the
former support program. “Also,
after 15 years, the reimbursement
of these loans will replenish the
reserve,” Frechette added.
Requirements
Only those producers officially
listed as young farmers will be
eligible for these quota loans.
You must be between 18 and 40
years old, be a holder of at least
50 square metres of quota and
have poultry production as your
principal activity. Furthermore,
the recipient must live not more
than 25 kilometres from the production site where the loaned
quota will be used. More specifically, the beneficiary can receive
up to one-third of the quota
already owned, to a maximum of
200 square metres.
The beneficiary must also produce and market himself the
birds produced with the loaned
quota. The quota cannot be given
or re-assigned to someone else. If
the beneficiary decides to
decrease production, he must
return the loaned quota before
selling his own quota. In the thirteenth year, the beneficiary must
start paying back the loan, at a
rate of 20 per cent of the loaned
quota per year. If, by chance, the
demand for loaned quota
exceeds 3,000 square metres per
year, the ÉVQ will proceed with
a random draw.
Jean-Charles Gagné
LTCN 2010-09-23
Betrayal over changing electoral
map boundaries
Agriculture Laurent Lessard in
interview. Lessard maintained
that the population of his riding
“feel they have been duped,”
after having been consulted in
2008 on a project to group their
riding with that of Beauce-Nord.
Beauce-Nord,
along
with
Kamouraska-Témiscouta
and
Matane, are slated to disappear in
the proposed reform project, to
make room for three new districts
in the Montreal region.
“I asked the DGE to come to his
senses and to reintroduce the concept of natural communities. The
DGE’s reasoning is to simply start
in the Gaspé region and push the
problem back up the line, in a sort
of domino effect, until it reaches
Montreal. I almost fell over. I was
severe in my criticism, because
the work was not done properly,”
exclaimed Lessard.
Speaking to the parliamentary
commission, Blanchet cited his
inability to change the demographic realities, as well as his
duty to respect the Electoral Act
and the 1991 Supreme Court decision. He explained that eight districts were below the minimum
required limit of 45,207 voters,
where each of them is required to
be within 25 per cent of the
Some heavy-hitters in the
Charest government did not
mince words in denouncing the
proposal tabled by the president
of the Commission on Electoral
Representation, Marcel Blanchet,
to change the boundaries of the
electoral map. Members of the
opposition also expressed their
severe disapproval of the project,
presented to the Quebec National
Assembly’s parliamentary commission last week by Blanchet,
who is also the Director-General
of Elections (DGE).
“This is a betrayal—we feel
betrayed!” declared the MNA for
Frontenac and Minister of
Municipals
Affairs
and
Marcel Blanchet, Director-General of
Elections for Quebec.
Both government and opposition MNAs denounced the project presented by the
Director-General of Elections to the Commission on Electoral Representation.
Quebec average—no more, no
less. He also added that seven of
the new ridings do not meet the
norm, citing the example of
Masson with 66,000 voters, compared to Gaspé with a mere
27,000 voters. “There is no room
to manoeuvre,” he claimed.
According
to
Nathalie
Normandeau, minister responsible for the Gaspé region, the electoral map proposal represents a
“bitter social failure.” She maintains that the new electoral map is
in direct contradiction to the ongoing conciliation efforts between
the rural and urban populations.
“I must confess, I am very disillusioned,” Normandeau declared
to the DGE. “Democracy is not
simply a question of numbers—it
has to be lived.”
The PQ member for Matapédia,
Danielle Doyer, believes that the
Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie
regions cannot allow themselves
to lose any MNAs. Rather, she
maintains that the DGE should
eliminate three districts in
Montreal, where 1.2 million voters are represented by 28 members and ten ministers.
At the conclusion of these hearings, the National Assembly’s
parliamentary commission will
submit a report to the elected
members, who will then debate
the subject for five hours.
Subsequently, the Commission
on Electoral Representation will
have about ten days to make its
final modifications to the electoral
map. It should be remembered
that this proposal by the DGE is a
result of the inability of the political parties to come to an agreement on Bill 92, presented by the
late Claude Béchard. This original
bill preserved the political weight
of rural regions.
The president of the Fédération
québécoise
des
municipalités,
Bernard Généreux, declared that,
from his point of view, the new
map represents “a significant
democratic loss for the regions.”
Pierre-Yvon Bégin
LTCN 2010-09-23
UPA hoping to go to the Supreme Court
over the Bourgoin case
The Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) and the Fédération des
producteurs acéricoles du Québec
(FPAQ) filed a petition with the
Quebec Court of Appeal on
September 24, to suspend the
enforcement of the decision
handed down on September 3 in
the Henri Bourgoin case.
This suspension is deemed necessary while waiting to hear if the
Supreme Court of Canada will
accept or refuse to hear an appeal
regarding this decision.
It should be recalled that the
judgement rendered by Justice
Jean Bouchard of the Quebec
Court of Appeal voids the cash
damages clause stipulated in the
maple syrup marketing agreement for the years affected by the
decision
(2002-2005).
Mr.
Bourgoin had been sentenced to
pay almost one million dollars for
syrup bought outside the agreement.
PHOTO: TCN ARCHIVES
A colossal impact
The Bourgoin case does not concern only
maple producers, since ten other federations and syndicates have signed an affidavit asking to be allowed to explain the
impact of the judgement before the
Supreme Court.
According to the UPA’s court
petition, the September 3rd decision “has a direct and decisive
impact on the auto-regulated system stipulated in the marketing
agreement.” Numerous federations and specialized syndicates
are “directly affected”, since their
products are sold by way of marketing agreements. The UPA
even speaks of a “colossal
impact” on the entire marketing
system for agricultural products.
A group of federations and syndicates have also filed an affidavit
with the Appeal Court, signed by
their directors, to explain the
impact of the judgement on their
respective groups (see table).
Furthermore, according to the
UPA petition, the September 3rd
decision puts in doubt the ability
of the Régie des marchés agricoles et
alimentaires du Québec (RMAAQ)
to extend the terms and condi-
tions of a marketing agreement to
all those who market the given
product. In practice, it is rare that
all the small buyers in a specific
production sector would participate in the negotiation process; it
is also infrequent that all buyers,
without exception, would agree
to a given marketing proposal.
Thus, the recent judgement
would create two classes of buyers: those who negotiated and
those who had the agreement
imposed upon them by the Régie
(either through arbitration or by
the extension of the agreement to
everyone involved). In the latter
case, damages that would provide direct service support for the
respect of certain regulations,
such as grading and inspection,
would no longer apply.
Without these damages, the
Régie would be limited to issuing
only a ruling. It would then be
necessary to go to court to prove,
beyond a doubt, that there was
disobedience of the ruling - in
other words, a long and complex
process.
Furthermore, the UPA claims
that the Court of Appeal did not
hear its arguments regarding the
distinction between an officially
approved agreement and the
adjudicated decision assessed by
the Régie. The UPA maintains that
the September 3rd decision
“upsets the delicate balance
reached in the application of the
law” and creates “disorder” in
the application of the marketing
agreements. The Union foresees
significant costs and delays
caused by disputes based on the
recent judgement. Therefore, it is
asking to have the enforcement of
the decision suspended until the
Supreme Court makes a final
judgement in this case. In this
regard, the UPA intends to file a
petition asking for permission to
appear before the highest court,
unless the court considers that the
Union is already a party in the
case, de facto.
The RMAAQ was present in
Quebec City at the September
24th filing, but has yet to make a
decision regarding its possible
intervention in the case. “We are
presently conducting a legal
analysis,” declared the Régie’s
Yves Lapierre.
Quebec’s
Attorney-General
remains silent on this case for the
moment. “Neither the law, nor
any part of it, has been found to
be invalid,” declared Johanne
Monceau, of the Justice Ministry,
who therefore has no plans to
intervene at the present time.
However, she did not exclude the
possibility that the Crown could
wish to be heard at the Supreme
Court, depending on the evolution of the case.
Thierry Larivière
LTCN 2010-09-30
List of federations and syndicates that have
signified their interest in the Bourgoin case:
Fédération des producteurs de bovins [beef]
Fédération des producteurs de pommes [apples]
Fédération des producteurs de pommes de terre [potatoes]
Fédération des producteurs de porcs [pork]
Fédération des producteurs de lait [milk]
Fédération des producteurs de cultures commerciales [cash crops]
Syndicat des producteurs de lapins [rabbits]
Fédération des producteurs de fruits et legumes de transformation [fruits
and vegetables for processing]
Éleveurs de volailles du Québec [poultry]
Fédération des producteurs d’oeufs de consommation [table eggs]
Quebec Farmers’ Advocate / October 2010- Page 21
Milk—a climatefriendly beverage
Flinging it far
and wide
Ev Thomas
W.H. Miner Institute
Fall is in the air, and with it
the smell of cow manure. As you
start to empty manure storages,
give some thought not to where
it’s most convenient to spread
but where the nutrients in the
manure are most needed. Very
seldom is this the field closest to
the barn! Recent research has
shown that crop yields are higher where there’s good soil fertility plus a low rate of fertilizer vs.
low soil fertility plus a high rate
of fertilizer. We’ve long known
this to be the case for soybeans,
but it now appears to be true for
other crops as well. This stands
to reason, since in fertile soil the
nutrients
are
distributed
throughout the plow layer while
fertilizer applications usually
concentrate the nutrients in a
relatively small area.
Some areas of the Northeast
had a very dry mid-summer
before the late August rains
came. Which fields do you think
tolerated the dry weather better:
Fields with nutrients concentrated in the top few inches, or
fields with nutrients distributed
throughout the entire plow
layer? As the soil dries out the
nutrients in the top few inches of
Heather Dann
W.H. Miner Institute
soil become increasingly less
plant-available.
Remember,
roots can only take up nutrients
that are in the soil solution.
Plant roots ain’t got teeth.
A few years ago we did a simple spreadsheet analysis to
determine how far a farmer
could haul manure, using
either a truck-mounted tank
spreader or a tailgate spreader
pulled by a tractor. Not surprisingly, the truck was a lot cheaper to operate per mile, and labor
cost was smaller since a truck
takes less time than a tractor to
make the round trip between
storage and field. Even so, the
results showed that as long as
the faraway fields needed the
fertilizer more than the close-by
ones, you could drive a long
way before the cost in fuel,
equipment and labor exceeded
the value of the nutrients.
You’ve probably heard the
above sermon before. However,
as long as farmers continue to
bury the field next to the cow
barn with manure, the same one
they buried last year and the
year before while leaving fields
as little as a few miles from the
farm unmanured, you’ll continue to hear it again and again.
— [email protected]
Policy advisors from around
the world are pointing to the
food chain as a substantial contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Some proposed policies
suggest altering food consumption patterns to reduce green
house gas emissions. In general,
these policies replace animalbased foods with plant-based
foods. Results from a study published in the August 2010 issue of
Food & Nutrition Research indicate that this may not be the best
approach to decrease greenhouse gas
emissions and climate impact.
The researchers looked at the nutrient profile and the greenhouse
gas emissions during production and distribution of several beverages, such as milk, soft drink, orange juice, beer, red wine, mineral
water, soy drink, and oat drink. They combined the beverage’s nutrient density and greenhouse gas emissions into a novel “Nutrient
Density to Climate Impact (NDCI)” index. This “tool makes it easier
to consider the nutritional aspect of the climate debate,” according to
the researchers.
Milk was the big winner, scoring a 0.54 on the NDCI index!
Orange juice and soy drink scored significantly lower at 0.28 and
0.25, respectively. Soft drinks, beer, wine, mineral water and oat
drink score below 0.10 because of their low nutritional value. The
take home message: you get more nutrition per unit of greenhouse
gases from milk than from other beverages!
—[email protected]
* Reference: Smedman, A., H. Lindmark-Mansson, A. Dreqnowski,
and A. K. Modin Edman. 2010. Nutrient density of beverages in relation to climate impact. Food and Nutrition Research 54: 5170
QFA CROSSWORD - by Myles Mellor
ACROSS
DOWN
1
1
7
9
10
11
12
13
15
17
19
22
24
26
28
30
33
35
36
37
Legendary Saskatchewan Valley where
canola is grown
Problem disease for elk and deer, abbr.
Administer
Like some mushrooms
One of Canada’s grain exports
Stately tree
A wine bouquet when exposed to air will
___
Form of address
Brooch inlay
Bigtooth ____ trees
Part of PIN
Roman 9
Leaf ___: a common disease of wheat
that occurs late in the season in Alberta
Canada has become one of the world’s
largest producers of this bean
Shout to a crow eating freshly planted
seeds!
Crop disease treated with fungicide (2
words)
Lab eggs
Gets close to being picked
Nation producing an estimated 77% of
the world canary seed production
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
12
14
15
16
17
18
20
21
23
25
27
29
30
31
32
34
Cardinal Richelieu introduced the seigneurial
system of farming to this province in 1627
Horses, cows and sheep
Canada’s fastest growing crop sector
Compass point, for short
The, in Quebec
Inspection
Cow product
It goes from sunrise to sunset
Wheat, in French
Prefix with friendly
Wine barrel
Was introduced to
Rutubaga is a ____ vegetable
The western bean cutworm has recently
become a threat to ____ fields in Ontario and
Quebec
The majority of buckwheat for pancakes is
grown in this province
Peach seed
Former lover
Cultivator
Rain bringer
Targhee and Columbia are common breeds of
this animal in Saskatchewan
Many, many moons
Shock
Letters on a pencil
Beans grown as part of the Canadian pulse
industry
Revolutionary drink, down south
Page 22 - Quebec Farmers’ Advocate / Ootober 2010
Quebec Farmers’ Advocate
•
450 679-0540 Ext. 8536
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Announcements!
Birth notices? Marriage announcements? Obituaries?
QFA MEMBER BENEFITS
DO YOU NEED SOMETHING
TRANSLATED? The QFA’s
Translation Services are back!
English to French or French to
English. No job is too big or too
small! QFA members automatically get a 10% discount with
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[email protected].
QFA ACCOUNTING BOOKS,
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office to order your copy. 450679-0540, extension 8536.
Use our classified section!
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 450-679-0540 ext. 8536
Fax: 450-463-5291
WANT AN AD?
Don’t forget that QFA members get 3 FREE
classified ads per year! Send in your ads now!
Phone: 450-679-0540 ext. 8536
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20 words
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QFA
CROSSWORD
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Buying an ad?
Fill out our classified form,clip it out and mail to:
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555 Boul. Roland-Therrien, Office 255, Longueuil, QC J4H 4E7
or fax it to 450-463-5291
Please make cheques payable to Quebec Farmers’ Association
Don't you think it's time to reduce your work load? LET US HELP!
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143343
Quirky QFA Crack-Ups
Family traditions
A man walks into a bar and orders
three beers.
The bartender brings him the three
beers, and the man proceeds to alternately sip one, then the
other, then the third,
until they’re gone.
He then orders three
more and the bartender says, ‘’Sir, I
know you like them
cold, so you can start
with one, and I’ll bring
you a fresh one as soon as you’re
low.’’
The man says, ‘’You don’t understand.
I have two brothers, one in Australia
and one in Ireland. We made a vow to
each other that every Saturday night,
we’d still drink together. So right now,
my brothers have three beers, too,
and we’re drinking together.’’
The bartender thinks it’s a wonderful
tradition, and every week he sets up
the guy’s three beers. Then one week,
the man comes in and orders only
two. He drinks them and then orders
two more. The bartender says sadly, she prepared a dinner for herself
‘’Knowing your tradition, I’d just like to alone. The next day, her mother called
just say that I’m sorry you’ve lo st a to see how everything went.
brother.’’
‘’Oh, mother, I made myself a lovely
The man replies, ‘’Oh, my
dinner, but I had so much trouble
brothers are fine—I just quit
trying to eat the turkey!’’ said
the daughter.
drinking.’’
‘’Did it not taste good?’’
Lively Turkey!
her mother asked.
It was the first time the
‘’I don’t know,’’ the
blonde was eating
blonde said. ‘’It wouldn’t
Thanksgiving dinner
sit still!’’
without her family. Trying
to re-enact the tradition,
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Is there a “UPA of the future” for Anglophone farmers?

Transcription

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