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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-8-17, Page 10Page 10 Times -Advocate, August 17, 1994 r_ EARMIJPDATE One Foot in the Furrow By Bob Trotter Canadians ready to gobble up turkey Turkey, when properly cooked, is my favorite meat. I can even eat the dark meat in turkey, something I have trouble digesting when it is chicken. I have felt for many years that turkey needed a promoter, an- other colonel who would lake turkey into the 2Ist century. Chicken, it has been said, be- came the choice of the 20th cen- tury. It has grown to become the favorite meat of many people and outlets have sprung up like • mushrooms in a damp pasture. Even Ronald MacDonald, the haven for hamburgers, started selling chicken a few years ago simply to cash in on its popular- ity. You can buy chicken in all kinds of disguises from kiev to l'orange, from nuggets to drum- sticks. You can get it glazed, grilled and glorified in dozens of dishes. The colonel made mountains of moola with his se- cret recipe of herbs and spices. In his later yearshe became a great philanthropist. He could afford to. But turkey languished in the back 40 waiting for someone to be a colonel or a captain or a general, perhaps, and lead it to gourmet popularity from gastro- nomical wilderness. Now, it seems, an outfit under the name of Turkey Turkey (why not Turkey Lurkey from the famous nursery rhyme?) is coming to Canada to set up a chain of fast food restaurants. I can't wait. They've got a customer in me right now as long as it is as well prepared as the chicken at KFC. I can eat turkey white meat any time in a sandwich, as a turkey burger, a drumstick, in a turkey sausage, grilled, fried, Naked, potted. glazed or gravyed. The idea should go over like the Goodyear blimp tit a football game. I think Canadians are ready to, if you'll pardon the expression, gobble up a lot of turkey. The big bird is ready to he exploited and if I was 20 years younger and had the money, I would search for the right location and invest in a Turkey Turkey fran- chise. Canadians lag far behind Americans in per capita con- sumption of turkey. We are be- hind even the French and the Italians in eating turkey but those two nations have always specialized in extra good cook- ing. They know a good thing -- turkey -- when they taste it. We do eat more turkey than either the Germans or the Brit- ish but neither of these nations are famous for good food. I mean what can you say about sauerkraut (rotten cab- bage), fish and chips, haggis (sheep's guts) or potatoes? We really should be leading the world in our per capita con- sumption of turkey because we are famous in dozens of coun- tries for hybrid turkeys, an On- tario firm that has led the way in the hybridization of these mag- nificent birds. The company ex- ports expertise throughout the world and recently announced major expansion plans. The big -breasted bird we see in turkey barns these days is re- lated to the wild turkey depicted as a New World delicacy by the Pilgrim Fathers. But it is so deli- cately changed from its wild counterpart that it can no longer breed naturally. Which is why we have Hybrid Turkeys. When we have turkey for spe- cial occasions such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, I never get tired of eating leftovers. It is the only fresh meat that I can eat be- ing re -warmed without giving me indigestion. I, for one, welcome Turkey Turkey with open arms. Or wings. Or beat the drumsticks for them. Or whatever. I'm going to gobble it up. Summer camp for sheep Western sheep farmers can rent their flocks out for summer SASKATCHEWAN - In May, Jeanne Marie de Moissac and Gerald Crozier of Biggar waved a fond farewell to their sheep. They were leaving for their second annual holiday in British Columbia. The sheep were leaving, that is. And, like many parents sending their children off to summer camp, de Moissac and Crozier felt that "it was like a gift from heaven." de Moissac and Crozier have been raising Hampshire and Arcott sheep for meat since 1981. But lamb prices, al- though rising now, have been depressed in recent years, and the cost of using a community pasture for summer grazing was almost prohibitive. Last year, therefore, when de Moissac and Crozier were paid to let their ewes and lambs graze on refo- rested land in B.C., it sounded almost too good to be true. "After logging, lumber companies arc responsible for reseeding the de -forested areas and ensuring that the trees thrive," explains Morag Othen of Spirit Riv- er, Alta., the grazing contractor who contacted de Moissac and Crozier. "But weeds can choke out these seedlings and because of environmental con- cerns, herbicides can't be used to control the weeds in some areas. So sheep are imported because, with careful shepherding, they graze the weeds and leave the trees." These sheep are rented from producers in B.C., Al- berta and, most recently, Saskatchewan. They are taken to sites in northern Alberta and alt over B.C. in late May, and returned home in August or Septem- ber, depending on thc location of the project. The grazing contractors pay the transportation costs and, in Saskatchewan, $10 per sheep or lamb to the own- ers. "Last year was the first year we had sheep from Saskatchewan. This year we had 3,000 and we could use a lot more. But owners have to plan ahead. They have to arrange for early lambing, as the larnbs must be weaned by the beginning of May. All sheep and lambs must be vaccinated and inspected by • a veterinarian as well," says Othen. Last year, 230 of de Moissac and Crozier's ewes and lambs spent three months north of Fort St. John, B.C., and de Moissac and Crozier were so impressed with the program they were more than willing to participate again this year. "It's wonderful program," says de Moissac. "It's so efficient and, because of it, the fitness score of our flock has increased by two points since last year. The contractors are very particular about herd health -- every animal must have a foot bath, for example -- and their insistence on fit animals has helped up to improve the flock." Terry Grajczyk, beef and sheep industry specialist, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, says the summer sheep sojourn presents environmentally friendly op- portunities for multiple uses for livestock. "The use of animals instead of chemicals to control weeds, which benefits the farmer at the same time, is a positive move. The key is management: making sure it's economically viable for all involved. If worked properly, it's advantageous for everyone," says Grajczyk. For more information about the summer sheep - grazing program, contact Morag or Ken Othen at 1- 403-864-2466 in Spirit River, Alberta. • Understanding animal behaviour reduces animal stress Less stress on an animal can im- prove. its productivity. REGINA, SASK. - Reducing an animal's stress during handling has been demonstrated to improve productivity and prevent physiological changes that could lower productivity, says Dr. Temple Grandin, assistant professor, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Grandin's expertise was recently quoted in FAC- Stracs, the newsletter of the Foundation for Animal Care Saskatchewan Inc. (FACS). FACS represents and advocates the humane care of animals for the benefit and service of humanity. One of the many ways in which the foundation carries this out is through publication of current research in animal care, says Dr. Peter Rempel, director, Lands and Reg- ulatory Management, Saskatchewan Ag- riculture and Food. Grandin's words, for example, are of interest to all FACS members. She says an understanding of live- stock behaviour will facilitate handling, reduce stress and improve both handler safety and animal welfare. "Livestock have wide-angle vision and are easily frightened by shadows or moving distractions. Load- ing ramps and handling chutes, therefore, should have solid side walls to reduce distractions, such as moving objects and people, and thus reduce stress and agitation. "B1 king vision will stop escape attempts. This is why solid portable panel is so effective for han- dlg igs. The wildest cow will also remain calm in a darkened artificial insemination box, which com- pletely blocks vision." Although ruminant animals have depth perception, says Grandin, their ability to perceive depth at ground level while moving with their head up is probably poor. "To see depth on the ground, the animal would have to stop and lower its head. This may explain why livestock often lower their heads and stop to took at strange things on the ground. Cattle, pigs, sheep and horses will often balk and refuse to walk over a hose, puddle, shadows, draining grate, or change in flooring surface or texture. "In areas where animals are handled, illumination should be uniform and diffuse. Shadows and bright spots should be minimized. Slats on the floor of shearing sheds and other animal facilities should be oriented so animals walk across the slats. Flap- ping objects or a coat hung on a chute fence may stop animal movement," says Grandin. She says pigs, sheep and cattle have a ten- dency to move from a dimly illuminated area to a more brightly illuminated area, provid- ed the light isn't shining in their eyes. A spotlight directed onto a ramp or other apparatus will often facilitate entry. Livestock have colour perception, so handling fa- cilities should be painted one uniform colour. All species are more likely to balk at sudden changes in textures in colour or texture. Moving or flapping ob- jects, such as fan blades or flapping cloth, can also cause balking. "It's very important to keep animals calm because, when they get excited, it takes 20 to 30 minutes for them to calm down. "Animals which have had frequent gentle contact with people will be less stressed than those which have had previous adversive treatment. In fact, live- stock can be trained to voluntarily enter a restraining device, which should be gradually introduced and not cause pain. Training animals to voluntarily sub- mit to handling procedures would be especially use- ful for valuable breeding animals," says Grandin. FCC doubles lending volume REGINA - Farm Credit Corpora- tion (FCC) achieved its largest lending volume in ten years ($512 million) in 1993/94 -- almost dou- ble the $277 million realized the previous fiscal year. The federal Crown corporation's annual report 'was tabled in the House of Com- mons June 21. The increased lending volume can bed attributed to several fac- tors, including business in non- traditional markets under the new Farm - Credit Corporation Act (passed April 2, 1993) which ena- bles FCC to finance a much broad- er range of farm -related projects to help rural Canada prosper. Competitively priced products, favourable commodity prices and a more positive outlook in the farm- ing community due to events such as settlement of the GATT (Gener- al Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) were other reasons for the lending volume increase. With interest rates at a 30 -year low, many farm- ers took the opportunity to arrange term financing. Pent-up demand for upgrading farm equipment and fa- cilities was yet another factor. Highlights from the 1993/94 fis- cal year are as follows: • FCC recorded positive income - - $28.3 million -- for the fourth consecutive year, compared to $20.4 million the previous year. • Across Canada, 5,117 loans were approved, an 87 percent in- crease over the 1992/93 total. • The net loan amount totalled $511.7 million, compared to $277.1 million in 1992/93. • Loan arrears were reduced to What's new in manure spreading? Lastest equipment will be shown in action August 24 MITCHELL - If you want to know what's new in manure spreading, the place to be is Gerald Beuermann's farm in Logan Township on August 24. From 12 to 4:30, you will be able to see the latest equipment in action and hear how other farmers are getting the most from manure. The Manure Utilization Day is sponsored by the Ausable- Bayfield, Grand River, Maitland Valley, and Upper Thames River Conservation Authorities. The four Conservation Authorities all have Clean Up Rural Beaches (CURB) programs that provide funds to landowners to construct manure storages to reduce pollution to wa- tercourses. As a result of the suc- cess of the CURB program, staff at the Conservation Authorities feel that more information on the envi- ronmental and economic aspects of manure spreading should he available. Manure spreading equipment manufacturers are designing equip- ment to improve the utilization of manure and reduce environmental risks. Participants will have the op- portunity to see tour different in- novations in action. DFK Equipment Incorporated will be demonstrating thc Knight 7700 series side slinger. This spreader handles both solid and liquid manure. L.H. Resources will demonstrate their tool bar spreader with a flexible hose from tank to field. Husky Farm Equipment will showcase its new aerway system for- incorporating liquid manure. Nuhn Industries will be demon- strating the Enviro 2001 which in- cludes the spread options of boom, row crop injectors, a rotary meter and no -till injectors. Three farmers will be discussing how they get the most from ma- nure with the least environmental impact. Harry Greenwood from Selves Farms Ltd. will talk about his experience irrigating manure from:a 1,000 sow farrow to finish operation. Bruce Whale, a dairy farmer from Alma, will provide his experience with manure testing and soil testing. Bruce Shillinglaw, a cash cropper from Londesboro, will explain how manure fits into his no -till system. In addition to the line up of speakers and field demonstrations, a variety of crop consultants, cus- tom manure applicators, and equip- ment dealers will be available to talk to. For more information con- tact thc Ausable Bayfield Conser- vation Authority at 235-2610 HARD RED WHEAT INFORMATION MEETINC Thurs. Aug. 25/94 - Evening 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Stanley Community Complex Varna Speakers: Jeff Reid - C + M Seeds Pat Lynch - Cargill Jack Campbell - OWPMB p011sOtc:c y: -1 : -1 ar is 233-3218 Varna Grain 233-79O8 c. $37 million, down from $68 mil- lion the previous fiscal year. • FCC's debt-to-equity ratio im- proved to 10.9:1 in 1993/94 from 11.6:1 the previous fiscal year. The Corporation's goal is to establish a debt-to-equity ratio of 7:1 by March 31, 1997. The Corporation acquired the lending portfolio of the New Brunswick Agicultural Develop- ment Board in a join effort with the province to reduce duplication in farm credit programs. The transac- tion involved approximately 1,000 loans purchased for 437.6 million. FCC established a properties di- vision called Agri -Land Sales and leasing to separate the Corpora- tions lending function from land management. Agri -Land has devel- oped a new long-term lease prod- uct with an investment option help farmers build equity toward repur- chase of property. On January I. 1994, FCC intro- duced a new environment policy to encourage environmentally safe farming practices by creating a cli- mate of awareness with clients. FCC implemented a Business Management Framework which re- engineered many facets of the Cor- poration's business practices, par- ticularly in the area of lending con- trols. "Competition is here to stay in the world of agriculture", said He- witt. "With our new mandate, FCC is well positioned to provide fund- ing to new agricultural and agri- food enterprises. 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