Yellowfeed a Harvesting Alternative to Greenfeed

source: Farm and Food Report

Yellowfeed is the name given for a new alternative method of harvesting an annual cereal crop for hay that is showing some promise, according to Lorne Klein, a Forage Development Specialist with SAFRR.

“The traditional method of harvesting annual cereals for hay or greenfeed is to cut and crimp the crop at the milk-soft dough stage, and allow the material to dry in the windrow before baling. With yellowfeed, glyphosate is applied at the milk-soft dough stage and the crop is then allowed to stand until dry. Once dry, the crop can be cut and baled immediately.”

There are a number of advantages to yellowfeed over greenfeed. For instance, there is no weathering loss should it rain while the crop is drying in the windrow, and no need to turn the windrow after a rain.

In addition, producers can schedule their harvest, much like they do with silage. Plus, it offers perennial weed control, and the crop can be cut with a swather rather than a haybine.

There are a couple of significant disadvantages, however, with the yellowfeed method. Producers require access to a high clearance sprayer and they need to factor in the cost of the glyphosate and the lack of re-growth for fall grazing.

Klein explains what methodology was used during yellowfeed trials:

“During the period between 2001 and 2003, forage samples of oats and barley were collected to determine the effect of glyphosate on yield and quality. These were monitored from the time of spraying until seven to 10 days past the point of being dry enough to cut and bale. The rate of glyphosate was one litre/acre.”

Findings indicate that yellowfeed appears to be a viable option for drying annual cereals prior to baling; that application of glyphosate does not significantly reduce forage yield or quality — in fact, forage yield increases initially after spraying, likely due to the crop continuing to grow for a period of time after spraying.

“There is an initial decline in the percentage of protein after spraying,” says Klein, “possibly due to dilution from increased yield or the normal decrease in protein level from later maturity, but the overall total digestible nutrients (TDN), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) remained constant.”

Glyphosate products currently registered for pre-harvest use on livestock forage are Credit, Maverick, Vantage, Vantage Plus, Renegade and Roundup.

“After glyphosate is applied, barley dries about four to seven days sooner than oats. Barley stands well after spraying, but the heads tend to curl over close to the soil surface after it has dried. Oats tend to lay over horizontally at a height of about 12 to 18 inches. This does not interfere with cutting because the swather's cutter bar can be set below this height. The leaves and kernels of both crops remain attached, even after the crop is left standing seven to 10 days after drying.”

Palatability of yellowfeed is reported as good. Most producers believe the palatability of yellowfeed is equal to or greater than regular greenfeed.

The trials suggest that economics of yellowfeed should be studied further in terms of expected changes in forage yield and quality from spraying to harvest; cost of herbicide and application; cost of swathing compared to crimping; and also in terms of the potential benefit of perennial weed control.

Lorne Klein is of the opinion that “a comparison of the value of yellowfeed and greenfeed could change from year to year, based on weather conditions after spraying and cutting.” But, he adds that “greenfeed harvest and forage quality losses can be relatively high in years when there is significant rainfall after cutting … something that appears to be avoided with yellowfeed,” he concludes.

For more information, contact:

Lorne Klein
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 848-2382

Agriculture Knowledge Centre
1-866-457-2377

Conference to Provide Insight into Agricultural Opportunities

source: Farm and Food Report

All eyes in the Southwest will soon focus on Eastend, as a fine line-up of leaders and facilitators will share their knowledge at the Managing Through Change Agricultural Development Conference at Eastend’s Memorial Hall on March 2, 2005.

SAFRR’s Trevor Lennox is a Forage Development Specialist and one of the conference organizers.

“This event is geared towards primary producers and agri-entrepreneurs,” Lennox says. “They will find in our presenters and the business experiences they will share some wisdom, as well as useful tools that will help them identify opportunities and means to integrate a value-added dimension to their agricultural endeavours.”

The conference will include a report from the Agri-ARM (Applied Research Management) project on cropping opportunities for southwest Saskatchewan, through applications of new technologies for the grain industry, with Jody McConnell from SAFRR.

Later, Con Johnson, the Chair of Great Western Railway Ltd., will share some of the challenges he and his partners faced when they raised capital for their short line rail project.

Jody Fennell and Don Declercq of Pine Cree Cattle Company will speak about developments on their proposed feedlot initiative over the last year, after which Jack Salmon of Cypress Agri-Energy will bring participants up to date on the ethanol plant they propose to start building in the area.

John Parker of the Southwest Community Futures Development Corporation will make a presentation titled Financing for Value-Added Operations: how to access the latest information on government programs and services, with a view to getting projects off the ground

Lindsay Routledge of Canfax, an organization that keeps statistics on cattle markets and inventories, will follow with an update and outlook. Routledge will comment on potential BSE strategies and opportunities for producers, as we anticipate the border re-opening to live cattle on March 7, 2005.

As change, planning, evaluating and management skills are becoming increasingly important in agricultural activities, Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote — the Outstanding Young Farmer of Canada in 2001 — will give “farm-style” tips on making good decisions and processes to help make farms and businesses successful.

Last but not least, the legendary Red Williams of Saskatchewan Agri-Vision Inc. will share his perspective on the outlook and future opportunities in the beef sector.

“Mr. Williams is quite looking forward to his visit,” explains Lennox. “This whole day is a chance to look ahead for agricultural operations and associated businesses, at a time when challenges abound. But there are also some successes and inspiring stories as well. We are simply providing a forum where these stories can be told, along with providing useful information.”

The co-sponsors for this event include the South West Community Futures Corporation, Cypress Hills REDA, AIMS, Western Economic Diversification, AAFC Renewal Programs, and SAFRR.

Registration deadline is February 28; it costs $10 and includes lunch. For more information and to register, call (306) 778-8285 or 662-4299.

For more information, contact:

Trevor Lennox
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 787-4051

Organic Producers' Network Grows with each Update

source: Farm and Food Report

The future looks as promising as it ever has for organic producers, which could partly account for the success of the first two editions of the Organic Update. But this year’s offering, scheduled to take place at the Prairie Ursuline Centre in Bruno on February 22 and 23, has something special cooking in the oven — so to speak.

Don Perrault is an Agri-Business Development Specialist with SAFRR in Prince Albert:

“We have gradually been building a network of growers and organic agri-entrepreneurs with obviously common interests over the years. And this year, we are testing the waters to find out if there is enough interest among them to use the Prairie Ursuline Centre as a long-term use organic education centre.”

Building capacity and making more training available within the industry seems increasingly to gain favour as a priority among industry stakeholders. Judging by the 100 or so Organic Update participants who braved a blizzard last year to attend the event in Melfort, the interest appears to be there.

The Organic Update combines a first day of general and technical information on topics like organic standards, soil ecology, how to prepare for crop inspections, Agricultural Policy Framework renewal programs, and a basic orientation on marketing for new growers or marketers. A trade show, organized in tandem with the meetings, adds a further dimension to the event.

“This year, for the first time, we are also planning to have a fully organic supper at the end of day one,” adds Perrault. “For this meal, we seek out local ingredients as much as possible. It gets everyone in a fine mood for the following bear pit session. But the second day is seriously geared toward marketing, with more in-depth sessions. Let’s face it: making it as an organic producer often hinges on how expert you are at marketing your products.”

As more and more conventional producers look for alternatives, organics look very attractive. With markets that grow on average 15 to 20 per cent a year, organic producers are doing reasonably well when compared to others.

“This is a fairly young industry,”explains Perrault, “with lots of opportunities in terms of retail sales, and the cost of entering new markets is not as high as in other more established markets. This is why the industry is attractive, and why there is a need for more education and marketing skills training.”

Something the Organic Update addresses with program topics like the Theory of Marketing presentation by University of Saskatchewan Agricultural Economics Professor Tom Porter.

Lawyer Craig Zawada will tell producers what they need to know about production contracts in another session.

Later, Melanie Boldt of Pineview Farms in Osler — a 2004 Outstanding Young Farmer — will talk about marketing one’s farm in today’s economy.

Ian Cushon, an organic producer from Oxbow, will make a presentation on developing a market plan for grain commodities, and Glen Millard, a specialist on international finance and logistics with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, will talk about risk management and export marketing.

Getting paid for your crop is very important, but learning how to open new markets and tapping into them is just as crucial to being successful. That is what Organic Update 2005 is all about.

For more information, contact:

Don Perrault
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 953-2361

Leroy Bader
Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
(306) 878-8841

Provincial Herb and Spice Association Aims for New Markets

source: Farm and Food Report

Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association members may be the most diverse group of producers and agricultural manufacturers in the province, but that’s nothing compared to the range of commercial applications they seek for their crops and products.

Connie Kehler is Executive Director of the Association.

“Herbs and spices are a bit of a misnomer because we also cover non-timber crops that end up as ornamental products. This is an industry association that encompasses culinary herbs and spices, as well as functional foods, right from the field all the way up to the shelf.”

Functional foods are foods eaten for specified health purposes, because of their presumed rich content of one or more nutrients or non-nutrient substances that might confer health benefits. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) defines them “as foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition.”

Kelher explains: “We have all heard of how cranberry juice is good for your urinary tract and how it lowers cholesterol. Well, there are many herbs we grow whose potential health applications haven’t been explored yet. For instance, there is a form of mould in northern Saskatchewan that is harvested from birch trees and sold in some countries as a raw material used in the preparation of cancer medicines. In other instances, we may even import the material for local processing.”

The Association is interested, not only in exporting the raw materials, but also in local transformation — something that requires a more intimate grasp of value chain components. This need was recently addressed at the 2005 Annual Conference in Saskatoon, when a representative of Calgary-based CV Technologies Inc. was invited to share some of their accomplishments with participants.

“This is a firm that has taken ginseng out of its traditional paradigm,” explains Kehler. “The company used some very good science to back up the traditional evidence in terms of using it for colds and flus, in conjunction with some traditional medical work, and is doing a phenomenal job of marketing that product — $11 million in sales during the last quarter doesn’t hurt.”

The biotechnology company launched in 1992 accessed industrial research funds from the National Research Council and aims to become a global leader in the development and commercialization of safe and effective, evidence-based natural therapeutics for disease prevention and health maintenance.

“In order to achieve that kind of success, you have to be a very special person or group of individuals. You must understand how to study the market — CV Technologies has recruited hockey personality Don Cherry to promote its Cold-FX product — in order to hit the right market. For success to occur while developing new markets and applications, producers must maintain all kinds of linkages in the value chain. They have to target areas where small niches exist and understand who their marketers are. Planning is critical.”

Connie Kehler puts her finger right on it when she says: “When growers put a crop in the ground, they should have a pretty good idea of where the product will end up. If someone calls us three years later and asks: ‘what do I do with this now?,’ it’s a little late in the game.”

For more information, contact:

Connie Kehler
Saskatchewan Herb and Spice Association
(306) 694-4622

http://www.saskherbspice.org