The Rural Voice, 2001-10, Page 44A
The Farm Line offers
help for people
in distress
By Agricultural Information
Centre
As many of you know the Farm
Line has been in operation for the
past few months. This service is
sponsored through a variety of
sources including Ag -Canada, AAC,
OMAFRA, and the Ontario Farm
Women's Network.
The Farm Line is a
confidential/anonymous service that
offers counselling and referral
services to Ontario farmers and their
families. Trained counsellors can
speak to clients regarding a wide
variety of topics including: family
problems, marital/couple problems,
financial difficulties, stress, grief,
serious accident/traumatic events.
Staff can also put clients in contact
with personal, career, financial, and
legal resources in their community to
help them once the phone call is
complete. They also link clients to
the OMAFRA Farm Family Advisor
program and AAFC Farm
Consultation Service.
Over the past several months the
Agricultural Information Contact
Centre had the opportunity to
connect distressed clients with The
Farm Line. This service has been an
extremely valuable tool for the AICC
because it has helped our staff to link
distressed callers with people who
can help them. The Farm Line is a
free and confidential service that
enables agricultural producers to talk
about their problems and get them
the help that they need in times of
distress.
We are all aware of the pressures
and challenges that farmers face in
.today's competitive and often
stressful agricultural market.
Sometimes these challenges and
pressures can be overwhelming and
our clients need some one to turn to.
This is where The Farm' Line can
help. If you speak to some one, who
appears depressed, stressed out,
worried, or just needs a sympathetic
ear do not hesitate to make them
aware of The Farm Line and the
40 THE RURAL VOICE
Advice
services that they offer. The Farm
Line can be reached at 1-888-451-
2903 or 613-341-9341. The lines are
open from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm
Monday to Friday. I have attached
the URL for their webpage that
contains further information
http://www.thefarmline.ca0
Dealing with cross-
border delays in
transporting livestock
By Ralph Macartney, Manager,
Beef Cattle & Sheep, OMAFRA
Shipments of livestock from
Ontario into the U.S. may be delayed
at border crossings due to increased
inspection procedures by customs
officials. Delays may affect the
health of livestock in transit.
When possible, postpone
shipments of livestock to the United
States during periods of lengthy
border delays. If it is necessary to
ship livestock at this time, check with
the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation for border delay
information (1-800-268-4686 or 416-
235-4686), or www.mto.gov.on.ca/
english/traveller/construction/closure.
htm).
This information sheet provides
livestock exporters and truckers with
lists of risk factors, responsibilities
and procedures to ensure the safe and
humane transportation of animals.
Risk Factors:
The following factors have been
found to increase the risk for
livestock and poultry in transit:
1. unplanned delays;
2. adverse weather conditions, high
temperatures;
3. age and health status of livestock
and poultry being shipped; and
4. distance and time in transit (refer
to table at the bottom of the page for
details).
Responsibilities:
• The humane transport of animals is
a joint responsibility of buyers,
sellers, assembly point managers and
truckers.
• Transportation starts at the time of
loading at the point of origin, and
ends after unloading at the final
destination.
• Animals should be transported from
point of origin to final destination by
the safest route available.
Transportation should be completed
as quickly as possible.
• Knowingly inflicting physical
injury or causing unnecessary pain to
animals is a criminal offence.
Emergency Procedures During
Transportation:
Emergency procedures to be
followed by drivers in the event of a
delay during transit, breakdown or
accident.
1. Ensure the comfort and safety of
the animals at all times.
2. Telephone home office immed-
iately to report the emergency
situation.
3. Notify the receiver. (Have night
telephone numbers on hand.)
4. In the event of a breakdown or
accident, arrange for the use of
another vehicle to move the load to a
Recommended Maximum Transport Times and Minimum Feed, Water and Rest
Times**.
Minimum "Offload" Time to
Provide Feed, Water and Rest
Not applicable
5 hours
5 hours
5 hours
5 hours
5 hours
5 hours
5 hours
Generally slaughtered
*Unless they can reach their final destination in 52 hours.
**Note: These standards are contained within the federal Health of Animals
Regulations and enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Source:
Recommended Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals
series.
Species/Class Maximum Transport Time
Early weaned pigs 12 hours
Market pigs 36 hours
Cattle 48 hours*
Lactating dairy cows 12 hours
Nursing and pail fed calves 18 hours
Calves on special diet 12 hours
Sheep 48 hours*
Horses 24 hours
Poultry 36 hours