HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-11-24, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011.
Huron East wins big at HMA awards
Sustainable farm profits more critical than ever
The Municipality of Huron East
would like to take this opportunity to
congratulate its own businesses and
those throughout other parts of the
county for their outstanding showing
at the 2011 Huron Manufacturing
Association Excellence Awards last
Friday evening. Well done!
The Triple Crown: Manufacturer
of the Year, Employer of the Year
and Health and Safety Awards went
to E.D. Smith Foods Ltd. of Huron
East.
E.D. Smith Foods Ltd. is a private
company categorized under
Mayonnaise and Salad Dressing –
Manufacturers. This company
employs approximately 140
unionized workers and 40 non-
unionized workers in Seaforth. They
make over 500 different flavours of
salad dressing including vegan
dressings. Local food lovers
probably don’t realize that there is a
very good chance that their favourite
salad dressing is made right here in
Huron County.
The plant has been in business for
more than 20 years in the Seaforth
area. E.D. Smith exemplifies the
success that flows from continuous
improvement. The company has
been extremely successful in
reducing workplace injuries and is
currently celebrating three years of
no lost time accidents.
The Youth Integration Award went
to Murals in Metal.
Located in Seaforth, this business
is owned by Jim Dawe, and
manufactures machine laser cut
works of art. Jim and his staff, son
Cory and son-in-law Jordon
Skinner, can make any design. If you
can think it, they can cut it. They
have the ability to show the
customers their design on a wall or
building, before they actually make
it. The plasma machine is CNC
operated and staff use Corel Draw
for artwork designing. With the help
of Cory and Jordon, Jim has grown
the company and has been
commissioned by large companies
to create murals for their buildings.
Murals in Metal supply 45 stores
around Ontario.
The Green Leader Award winner
was Envira North Systems Ltd.
Envira-North Systems Ltd.
manufactures the Altra-Fan with
Whale Power Technology ranging in
size from eight to 24 feet in
diameter. This quiet ceiling fan is
ideal for manufacturing facilities,
distribution and warehousing
facilities, airport hangars, recreation
facilities and dairy barns, really any
facility with a high ceiling. The
product has gone from a 10-blade
fan to a five-blade fan making it
more efficient because the tubercle
technology has allowed the
manufacturer to increase the pitch of
the blades using less natural
resources and making it run 75 per
cent quieter.
The Innovative Product Award
went to Smartgrain.
Smartgain foods are ingrained
with complete OMEGA 3 fatty
acids, EPA and DHA, delivering
preformed OMEGA 3 fatty acids in
every day foods to health conscious
consumers. Smartgrain foods are
produced using the patented
ingraining process, created by Sharp
Ingrained. The company was
founded in 1989 by owners Dale and
Marianne Donaldson who have an
extensive background in agri-
business, in particular, the functional
food component of agriculture.
Everspring Farms share an alliance
with Sharp Ingrained Functional
Foods (SIFF) to conduct research
and development, as well as
production of smartgrain products
from their Seaforth production
facility.
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Nov.
18 were 3,314 cattle, 459 lambs and
goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold on an active trade at
prices $2 to $3 higher. Choice steers
and heifers sold $112 to $117 with
sales to $119. Second cut sold $104
to $111. Cows sold steady. On
Thursday holstein veal sold steady
to last week’s prices while beef veal
sold $2 to $3 lower. Lambs and
goats sold steady to last week and
sheep sold $10 to $20 higher. On
Friday calves and yearlings sold on a
strong active trade. Calves and
yearlings sold on a strong active
trade at Monday’s Vaccinated
sale.
There were 76 steers on offer.
Brad McAlpine of Ailsa Craig,
consigned three charolais steers
averaging 1,547 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $119. D&M
Farms of Listowel, consigned two
steers averaging 1,540 lbs. selling
for an average of $117.11 with one
black steer weighing 1,515 lbs.
selling to Ryding Regency for
$118.25. Neloway Farms of
Brussels, consigned two steers
averaging 1,438 lbs. selling for an
average of $117.51 with one red
steer weighing 1,460 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $118.25. Jim
Shaw of Bluevale consigned five
steers averaging 1,360 lbs. selling
for an average of $113.21 with two
black steers averaging 1,373 lbs.
selling for $116.50.
Terry Richardson of Harriston,
consigned six steers averaging 1,363
lbs. selling for an average of $102.83
with one blue steer weighing 1,425
lbs. selling to Ryding Regency for
$116.25. Leonard and Andrew Black
of Proton Station, consigned ten
steers averaging 1,377 lbs. selling
for an average of $112.38 with five
charolais steers averaging 1,452 lbs.
selling to St. Helen’s Meat Packers
for $115.50. Glen Bieman of Ayton,
consigned four steers averaging
1,470 lbs. selling for an average of
$114.19 with one gold steer
weighing 1,500 lbs. selling for
$115.25. Brad Hutchison of Gorrie,
consigned one charolais steer
weighing 1,520 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $115. Dwayne
and Lorrie Dickert of Ayton,
consigned four steers averaging
1,386 lbs. selling for an average of
$111.73 with one red steer weighing
1,505 lbs. selling for $114.
There were 99 heifers on offer.
Knechtel Farms of Gadshill,
consigned eleven heifers averaging
1,331 lbs. selling for an average of
$116.96 with one charolais heifer
weighing 1,330 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $119. K/C
McAlpine Farms of Ailsa Craig,
consigned eight heifers averaging
1,304 lbs. selling for an average of
$116.92 with one limousin heifer
weighing 1,280 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $118.75. Martin
Metske of Lucknow, consigned 13
heifers averaging 1,328 lbs. selling
for an average of $116.16 with one
gold heifer weighing 1,330 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$117.
Doug Powell of Dobbington,
consigned one limousin heifer
weighing 1,110 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $116.75. Terry
Murray of Clifford, consigned 11
heifers averaging 1,149 lbs. selling
for an average of $112.48 with five
gold heifers averaging 1,187 lbs.
selling for $115. Earl Bennewies of
Mitchell, consigned two heifers
averaging 1,170 lbs. selling for an
average of $109.77 with one red
heifer weighing 1,175 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $114.75. Dave
Golley of Wingham, consigned one
black heifer weighing 1,065 lbs.
selling for $112. Kevin Stewardson
of Wyoming, consigned two heifers
averaging 1,285 lbs. selling for an
average of $107.45 with one red
heifer weighing 1,270 lbs. selling for
$112.
There were 455 cows on offer.
Export types sold $60 to $72 with
sales to $79; beef cows, $69 to $78
with sales to $80; D1 and D2, $55 to
$60; D3, $50 to $55; D4, $35 to
$45. Laurie Cox Farms of Goderich,
consigned three cows averaging
1,573 lbs. selling for an average of
$77.24 with one gold cow weighing
1,510 lbs. selling for $80. David M.
Weber of Holyrood, consigned three
cows averaging 1,527 lbs. selling for
an average of $75.89 with one
limousin cow weighing 175 lbs.
selling for $79. Murray Bancroft of
Milverton, consigned three cows
averaging 1,590 lbs. selling for an
average of $77.25 with one limousin
cow weighing 1,715 lbs. selling for
$78.50.
There were 23 bulls sold $60 to
$79 with sales to $83. Dennis
Dolmage of Londesborough,
consigned one black bull weighing
2,110 lbs. selling for $82.50. Gelora
Farms of Walkerton, consigned one
holstein bull weighing 1,705 lbs.
selling for $78.50.
There were 88 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $120 to $160 with
sales to $169; good holstein, $120 to
$132 with sales to $138; medium
holstein, $100 to $120; heavy
holstein, $115 to $125 with sales to
$130. Marvin Weber of Listowel,
consigned one blonde heifer
weighing 735 lbs. selling for $169.
Lamar Frey of Listowel, consigned
ten veal averaging 715 lbs. selling
for $148.92 with two limousin
heifers averaging 715 lbs. selling for
$158. Gerald Ditner of Moorefield,
consigned two veal averaging 780
lbs. selling for an average of $143.12
with one red steer weighing 795 lbs.
selling for $149.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $160 to
$227; 50 - 64 lbs., $222 to $330; 65
- 79 lbs., $208 to $290; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$187 to $240; 95 to $109 lbs., $189
to $224; 110 lbs. and over, $195 to
$214.
Sheep sold $90 to $130 with sales
to $150.
Goats: kids sold $50 to $140 to
$160 per head; nannies, $50 to $135
to $145 per head; billies, $150 to
$250 to $300 per head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $117 to $195; 400 -
499 lbs., $138 to $187; 500 - 599
lbs., $125 to $181; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$135 to $161.25; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$112 to $144.50; 800 - 899 lbs.,
$127.50 to $141.75; 900 - 999 lbs.,
$128 to $139.25; 1,000 lbs. and over,
$100 to $137.
Top quality stocker heifers under
300 lbs. sold $107 to $167; 300 -
399 lbs., $132 to $165; 400 - 499
lbs., $130 to $174; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$115 to $156; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$118.50 to $151.50; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$124 to $141; 800 - 899 lbs.,
$107.50 to $131.75; 900 lbs. and
over, $113 to $128.75.
Top quality vaccinated stocker
steers under 400 lbs. sold $138 to
$190; 400 - 499 lbs., $172 to $192;
500 - 599 lbs., $152.50 to $191; 600
- 699 lbs., $149 to $164.50; 700 -
799 lbs., $133 to $151.75; 800 - 899
lbs., $135 to $139.50.
Top quality vaccinated stocker
heifers, under 300 - 399 lbs., $127 to
$152; 400 - 499 lbs., $147 to $159;
500 - 599 lbs., $134 to $154; 600 -
699 lbs., $129.50 to $149; 700 - 799
lbs., $122 to $130.50.
By John Clement
Sustainability is becoming a
critical factor in agriculture and
farmers need to build it into their
business plans. That’s a key piece of
advice from David Sparling, the
keynote speaker at the recent
convention of the Christian Farmers
Federation of Ontario.
Sparling was speaking to this
year’s theme of “Building a Better
Agriculture … through Sustainable
Profits.” The annual event featured a
speaker’s program that delivered an
overview of how to achieve
sustainable profits, focusing on the
importance of working with the
environment, working with others in
the food chain, and doing all the
important things right on the farm.
Sparling spends a lot of time
thinking about sustainability in his
role as Chair in Agri-Food
Innovation and Regulation at the
Richard Ivey School of Business. He
says that farmers need to care about
sustainability because society cares
and expects more from agriculture.
For example, agriculture needs to
provide food for nine billion people
by 2050. Also, that food increasingly
needs to keep us healthy and help cut
back on social costs related to
wellness. Agriculture will also be
called upon to help us reduce our
dependency on oil for fuel, while
helping to protect the environment
and reduce climate change.
Sparling pointed out that big
retailers are already moving towards
sustainability and are pushing their
suppliers to measure up to new
standards. He noted that Walmart has
created an index that measures
sustainability by four key factors.
Suppliers must show they are
reducing energy costs and
greenhouse gas emissions, reducing
waste and enhancing quality, using
high quality, responsibly sourced
raw materials, and creating vibrant,
productive workplaces and
communities.
Farmers already have a good sense
of sustainability, but Sparling urged
those in agriculture to consider
building stronger business models to
reflect the new era of expectations.
He advised that farmers begin to
understand the impacts of everything
they do on the farm, including
energy, water use, fertilizer and
pesticide use, and cropping
practices. Being able to measure key
factors will also become important,
along with a commitment to improve
processes throughout the farm
business.
The bottom line is that
sustainability is just an extension of
what farmers have always done. But
Sparling notes it will mean more
measurement, more systems and
tracking, more reporting and a plan
for improving. He notes that it can
partly pay for itself and that there is
time to adjust. But farmers need to
start planning soon, both as
individuals and as a sector. As usual,
this constitutes both a challenge and
an opportunity.
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. Pigs, 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
2011 Special Fall Sales
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Regular Stocker Sale - 10:00 am
Angus Influence - 1:00 pm
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28 - 10:00 am
Vaccinated Calves & Yearlings
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 8 & 15
- 11:30 am
Christmas Lamb & Goat Sale
AgricultureBrussels Livestock reportFed steers and heifers sell $2-3 higher