The Rural Voice, 2006-06, Page 3About this issue
Staging ahead
Canada has a remarkable record in farm animal genetics
in so many areas. In swine, for instance, Canadian pigs
have been recognized for their leaness and growth qualities
for decades.
But if you keep exporting your superior genetics, you'd
better keep improving what you're doing at home or others
will catch up. Records revealed at the recent annual
meeting of the Ontario Swine Improvement Inc. show
genetic improvements continue, in fact may be increasing
at an even faster rate.
Recently we sat down with Dave Vandenbroek, OSI's
field services manager, and Marlow Gingerich, OSI
genetics manager, to explore the reasons for the continued
improvements.
One of the most controversial areas of swine production
is the use of gestation stalls. Recently, for instance, the
Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals, described by
Crystal MacKay of the Ontario Farm Animal Council, as
an animal rights, versus animal welfare, group (they were
behind the infamous poultry -barn video tapes), came out
with a "summary of scientific literature" on the subject.
But one thing both animal welfare and industry
professionals agree on: one size does not fit all when it
comes to sow stalls. As sows get older and bigger, the need
for a larger stall increases.
These have been stressful times for farm families. So
many pressures seemingly beyond the control of producers
have been building, from foreign animal disease to poor
prices, to international trade actions. The lack of
government action seemed to confirm to farmers their
sense they were in this mess on their own. Freelancer
Tristalyn Russell talks to farmers and professionals about
how they can deal with stress and protect their families.
In her gardening column, Rhea Hamilton Seeger writes
about the importance of good. healthy food for a good,
healthy diet, and the role that healthy soil plays in healthy
food.
In her decorating column, Patti Robertson shows us how
the other half relaxes with a tour of a magnificent Lake
Huron cottage.
When you think about June, what do you think of more
than strawberries (unless you're a livestock farmer who
thinks of hay making). In her recipes, Bonnie Gropp looks
at ways to use this delicious fruit.0
Update
Door opened for Ontario's
own artisan cheese makers
Artisan cheese -making operations in Ontario have been
confined to goats' milk (our stories on C'Est Bon cheese,
August 2004 and Momington Heritage Cheese, August
2001) or sheep's milk cheese (Ewnity Dairy Co-operative,
August 2002) but now the door has been opened for small-
scale cows' milk cheese operations.
"Consumers will benefit from even more varieties of
high-quality cheeses m the market," said Bruce Saunders,
chair of Diary Farmers of Ontario in announcing the
Artisan Cheese Program to encourage small-scale cheese
makers using traditional production methods. "New, small-
scale cheese makers will benefit by easier access to milk to
supply their needs"
Each artisan cheese maker, using traditional small -
batch, hand-crafted methods, will receive up to 300,000
litres of milk a year. Industry stakeholders will review the
program after four years. DFO has set a limit of three
million litres of annual volume for the program.
Commercial processors looking to create new products
can also apply to get milk through the program.0
Rural Voice
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Editorial advisory committee:
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Pearce, Bob Reid, Mervyn Erb, Sandra
Orr, Janice Becker
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