HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-11-22, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2012. PAGE 17.
CFFO focuses on agricultural technology
By Nathan Stevens
Jack Uldrich believes he is able to
capture glimpses of the future. A
futurist with the School of
Unlearning, Uldrich sees rapidly
evolving technology leading farmers
to a future where many of their
management decisions will be
impacted in new and perhaps
unexpected ways. At the recent
Christian Farmers Federation
Annual Meeting, he shared his
insights into how he sees farming
changing as a result of computing
power, information gathering and
communications technology.
One of the keypoints he raised was
that technology impacts us so greatly
because it evolves at an exponential
rate. The example he used
highlighted how folding a piece of
paper enough times will take you to
a stack as thick as phone book to the
height of a skyscraper, then on to the
moon and finally on to the sun, if
you can fold it enough times.
Technology development is capable
of this kind of explosive growth
potential.
This growth is fundamentally
changing how information is
gathered and exchanged between
people. Gathering, storing and
transferring information will
continue to increase in detail and
availability while decreasing in cost.
This will translate into some
consumers wanting to know more
about how their food was produced.
Farmers and their practices will be
visible to the public through this
process and opportunities and
challenges will emerge around
sustainability practices, animal
handling practices and in currently
unimagined ways.
Uldrich expects that farming in the
future will not feature distinct
adjectives like “precision
agriculture” or “sustainable
agriculture” but will simply be
agriculture. The need for precision
and sustainability will simply be
required parts of being in the
business of agriculture. Farming in
the future will be connected to the
wider world in ways that may
encourage change at home on the
farm.
The only real certainly about the
future is that things will change.
How quickly and how dramatically
are what remains uncertain. Farmers
and their partners in the agri-food
sector will need to be ready to
change as new challenges and great
opportunities await those looking to
embrace new possibilities.
Lydia Harrison of Durham,
Ontario and Dasha Metropolitansky
of Oakville, Ontario, have been
named this year’s first-place
winners in the 28th annual Canadian
Young Speakers for Agriculture
competition. The competition took
place Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Royal
Winter Fair.
Harrison took first place in the
senior competition for her speech
about farmers’ biggest
opportunities. Metropolitansky won
the junior category for her speech
about the importance of water for
agriculture and globalization.
In the senior competition, the first
runner-up was Elizabeth Schouten
of Kanata, Ontario, followed by
Victoria Blakely of Riverview, New
Brunswick. The other senior
finalists were Christopher
MacFarlane of Peterborough,
Morgan McNeil of Hantsport, Nova
Scotia and Mackenna Roth of
Delaware, Ontario. In total, 19
competitors from four provinces
took part in the senior competition.
In the junior competition, first
runner-up was Maxwell Archer of
Mount Pleasant, Ontario, followed
by Zackery Walker of Thomasburg,
Speaking competition
winners announced
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Nov.
16 were 2,411 cattle, 705 lambs and
goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold on a good strong trade.
Choice steers and heifers sold $114
to $117 with sales to $127.25.
Second cut sold $109 to $113. Cows
sold steady. On Thursday beef veal
calves sold on a steady market,
while holstein veal calves traded
under pressure. Lambs and goats
sold under pressure and sheep sold
on an active trade. On Friday calves
and yearlings sold on a steady
market. On Monday at the vaccinate
sale, all classes of cattle traded on a
steady market.
Chris Smith of Brussels,
consigned 15 steers averaging 1,533
lbs. selling for an average of $114.42
with one limousin steer weighing
1,465 lbs. selling for $120.50. Peter
Biggelaar of Mitchell, consigned six
steers averaging 1,528 lbs. selling
for an average of $118.83 with
three limousin steers averaging
1,508 lbs. selling to Horizon
Meat Packers for $119.25. Glen
Bieman of Ayton, consigned five
steers averaging 1,406 lbs. selling
for an average of $115.53 with two
black steers averaging 1,410 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$117.25.
Roy A. McCulloch of Allenford,
consigned 14 heifers averaging
1,385 lbs. selling for an average of
$116.03 with one black heifer
weighing 1,405 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $127.75.
Johnston Farms of Bluevale,
consigned 16 heifers averaging
1,271 lbs. selling for an average of
$112.90 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,355 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $120.25.
Connell Farms of Palmerston,
consigned 19 heifers averaging
1,297 lbs. selling for an average of
$112.46 with seven crossbred
heifers averaging 1,329 lbs. selling
for $115.50. Kranenburg Family
Farms of Walkerton, consigned four
heifers averaging 1,256 lbs. selling
for an average of $117.13 with two
black heifers averaging 1,263 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$113.75.
There were 455 cows on offer.
Export types sold $55 to $59 with
sales to $62; beef cows, $55.50 to
$65 with sales to $72; D1 and D2,
$54 to $60; D3, $48 to $54; D4, $37
to $47. Lyndon Steckle of Zurich,
consigned one black cow weighing
1,610 lbs. selling for $72. Murray
and Kevin Rennick of Monkton,
consigned two cows averaging 1,170
lbs. selling for an average of $62.39
with one limousin cow weighing
1,190 lbs. selling for $70.50.
Laurie Cox Farms of Goderich,
consigned five cows averaging
1,254 lbs. selling for an average of
$58.35 with one limousin
cow weighing 1,400 lbs. selling for
$66.
There were 15 bulls selling $55 to
$60 with sales to $74 Mark Holstein
of Mildmay, Drew Black of
Lucknow, consigned one black bull
weighing 1,270 lbs. selling for
$70.50.
There were 159 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $115 to $160 with
sales to $165; good holsteins, $100
to $110 with sales to $115; heavy
holsteins, $100 to $105 with sales to
$110. Lamar Frey of Listowel,
consigned 10 veal averaging 754 lbs.
selling for an average of $136.69
with one red steer weighing 745 lbs.
selling for $165. Aden MB Martin of
Harriston, consigned one black
heifer weighing 745 lbs. selling for
$132. Frank Vanhooeydonk of
Parkhill, consigned six veal
averaging 729 lbs. selling for an
average of $114.36 with one
charolais heifer weighing 700 lbs.
selling for $126.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $190 to
$195; 50 - 64 lbs., $137 to $186; 65
- 79 lbs., $130 to $165; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$119 to $152; 95 - 109 lbs., $130 to
$141; 110 lbs. and over, $130 to
$141.
Sheep sold $45 to $85 with sales
to $95.
Goats: kids sold $50 to $100 with
sales to $110 per head; nannies,
$40 to $80 per head; billies,
$100 to $250 with sales to $300 per
head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $155 to $188.50; 400 -
499 lbs., $137 to $180; 500 - 599
lbs., $129 to $176; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$123 to $157.25; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$122 to $147; 800 - 899 lbs., $111 to
$140.25; 900 - 999 lbs., $117 to
$139; 1,000 lbs. and over, $100 to
$131.
Top quality stocker heifers under
300 lbs. sold $117 to $130; 300 -
399 lbs., $130 to $162; 400 - 499
lbs., $126 to $159; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$112 to $160; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$134.25 to $147.50; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$107 to $135; 800 - 899 lbs., $124 to
$132.25; 900 lbs. and over, $117 to
$128.75.
Top quality vaccinate stocker
steers, 400 - 499 lbs. sold
$160 to $170; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$139.50 to $171; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$133 to $156; 700 - 799 lbs., $112 to
$148.
Top quality vaccinated stocker
heifers, 300 - 399 lbs. sold $147 to
$165; 400 - 499 lbs., $142 to $155;
500 - 599 lbs., $138 to $149; 600 -
699 lbs., $121 to $148; 700 - 800
lbs., $131 to $131.50.
Big boost for Food Share
The North Huron Food Share got a big boost last week when Ian Grant, president of DuPont
Pioneer Canada, left, presented the Food Share with a $5,000 cheque. Accepting are Joyce
Johnston, centre, Food Share operations manager and Gord Kaster, chairperson of the charity.
The donation was made at the opening of the $15 million Parent Seed Plant on the eastern
edge of Wingham, which will employ 10 full-time and 60 seasonal employees to grow and
process new canola hybrids from its Georgetown research facility for commercial production.
(Keith Roulston photo)
TUESDAYS
9:00 a.m.
Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows
THURSDAYS
8:00 a.m.Drop Calves
10:00 a.m.Veal
11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep
FRIDAYS
10:00 a.m. Stockers
Call us 519-887-6461
Visit our webpage at:
www.brusselslivestock.ca
email us at:
info@brusselslivestock.ca
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
2012 Special Fall Sales
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 - 10:00 am
Vaccinated Calves & Yearlings
Sponsored by Huron County Beef Producers
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Regular Stocker Sale - 10:00 am
Angus Influence Sale - 1:00 pm
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 13 & 20
- 11:30 am
Christmas Lamb & Goat Sale
AgricultureBrussels Livestock report
Fed steers, heifers sell on strong trade
Continued on page 18