Elk Breeders Have High Hopes For Their Industry

source: Farm and Food Report

When the Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association (SEBA) meets on March 18 and 19 in Saskatoon for their 9th Annual Convention and General Meeting, hot on the agenda will be Norelko, the new North American health product co-operative tasked with processing elk products locally.

Maria Bartok is SEBA’s Office Manager.

“This new generation co-op, which was incorporated just recently, will allow buying velvet antler from the producers, processing it, and creating the finished product in the form of pet food at provincially located plants,” Bartok says. “Pet owners increasingly give the same care and attention to the health of their animals as humans give themselves. Velvet antler has a positive influence on the crippling effects of arthritis on humans, and it can do the same for aging dogs.”

Apparently, ground velvet antler works best in its purest form, which is why it is sealed in capsules prior to being used. The contents are mixed in with individual pet rations — an emerging and attractive market opportunity for Saskatchewan producers.

“It is a classic renewable resource,” according to Bartok. “Bulls produce velvet every year. An average two-year-old will grow approximately nine lb. of velvet antler, and yields increase with maturity. Mature bulls (seven to eight year-olds) may produce from 30 to 40 lb. of velvet antler annually, which in the past 15 years has fetched from $35 to $110 per pound. And North America presently produces only a very small part of what the Oriental market demands.”

In fact, just in terms of breeding stock, North America will be in a stock-up phase for at least another 10 years.

“Elk are a single offspring species with a rare occurrence of twins. They constitute an attractive investment if you have land, can put up the fence, and have animal experience. We recommend that you try to keep the true capital cost of the fence to 10 per cent of your total investment in your elk venture. Before you begin, contact SAFRR for regulations (Domestic Game Farm Regulations) that may affect your elk ranch. You will also find in local elk breeders additional information on costs of animals, fencing and feed.”

Elk are predominantly grazers. They will eat most upland grasses and legumes, but they will also consume grains like corn and oats. They can consume up to 20 per cent of their diet in browse. The meat itself has long been considered the premier venison - and there is much room to grow, according to Bartok.

“Since North America imports 150 tons of venison annually, elk meat enjoys a ready market. It fits the needs of the modern consumer because it is lean, low in fat and cholesterol, and delicious. Plus, it is raised using no growth hormones or chemicals.”

But certain precautions are necessary. Elk, like any animal, must be taught respect for the handler. The walls of the handling facility should be a minimum of eight feet high. The availability of solid wall under a roof is also recommended, as is the use of gates and alleyways to move the animals. Elk can easily be moved in enclosed livestock trailers, but they need room and cannot be crowded during transport.

Of course, one of the greatest obstacles faced by the industry in recent years has been the closing of the Korean border because of Chronic Wasting Disease. To address the issue at this year’s conference, SEBA has invited President and CEO John Treleaven of the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) to brief members on strategic efforts to re-open the border.

“Mr. Treleaven will elaborate on how winning that battle hinges, in essence, on talking to the right people who can make inroads on the industry’s behalf. Reassuring Koreans about the safety of our product is something only trust and strong relationships can influence. All this takes time, but it is an effort that will pay off in the end,” says Bartok.

The Convention and General Meeting will culminate on Saturday with SEBA’s 2005 Award of Merit, a distinction recognizing a Saskatchewan producer who has been actively involved in the industry for many years.

The SEBA event takes place at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon. For more information and to register, contact the Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association office by email: seba@sasktel.net or call (306) 782-6500.

For more information, contact:
Maria Bartok
Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association
(306) 782-6500
http://www.elkbreeders.sk.ca

Improving Safety of Older Farm Equipment Heart of Study

source: Farm and Food Report

Will it surprise anyone who has ever spent quality time with a grain auger to find out that once the guard is taken off, it tends to stay off?

For James Wassermann and his colleagues at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), the real question was: is there a way to remove the need for the guard to be taken off at all?

This is only one of the issues addressed in a recent report funded by SAFRR’s Agriculture Development Fund, titled “Improving the Safety of Older and Unfamiliar Machinery to be Used for Intensive and Value-Added Agriculture.”

James Wassermann is PAMI’s V.P. of Operations in Saskatchewan.

“There has been some really good research conducted on statistics related to injuries caused by agricultural accidents and the ways to prevent them. Most people in the industry are familiar with the work of the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP). From this, we know that farm machinery is the leading cause of injuries on the farm. As a result, considerable effort has been devoted to developing safer machines. But we found that there wasn’t the same level of energy invested in making older farm equipment safer.”

There were a number of projects funded by organizations like the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) with resources allocated to safety education and training. But Wassermann felt there was a particular need that wasn’t being addressed.

“When you look at the hierarchy of injury prevention techniques, engineering is really the most important aspect because it can have a direct impact on preventing, eliminating or guarding against the hazards of working in an agricultural environment. A significant portion of farm injuries occur on older equipment. We felt there was a need to apply engineering principles to improving the safety of this older equipment.”

Wassermann and his team decided to embark on a couple of pilot projects. First, they worked on designing an improved guard for auger intakes with two key features: it had to allow improved product flow through it, which would mean there would be less incentive for producers to take the guard off.

“Secondly, it had to be designed in a way that allowed the guard to be temporarily removed without being physically detached from the auger. We came up with an adjustable collar that permitted the entire guard to be slipped up and back down the auger in a matter of about 15 seconds.”

In addition, PAMI also developed a simplified guide on how to build one’s own machinery guarding.

“Before we wrote this guide, we found the only resources available were complicated engineering standards that were not really accessible to agricultural producers who, perhaps, might prefer to build their own solution and might not have been able to decipher this technical information. What we did is we extracted the important elements of current engineering standards and we made them more user-friendly in a distinct publication.”

As part of the study, PAMI also identified other areas where safety improvements were needed. For instance, the need to come up with rollover protective structures that could be added on to older tractors was addressed.

One of the ways PAMI contributes to disseminating its research findings is through the production of actual prototypes.

“We built 40 prototypes of our auger guards, which are currently circulating across the country. There are four in each province being demonstrated on Canadian farms. This is phase two of our project, where we circulate our findings to the public. Our guards have been installed on augers and are used on farms with the help the agricultural safety organizations in each province.”

As people visit these farms, they can see how well the adjustable auger guard works. Soon enough, PAMI will find out how easily the fruits of their labour will be adopted as a safety solution for older equipment.

Copies of the Final Report are available by ordering publication number 20030418 at http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/apps/adf/

The PAMI guide on guard design is titled On Guard and can be downloaded by clicking here.

For more information, contact:
James Wassermann, P. Eng.
Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute
(306) 682-2555
http://www.pami.ca

Saskatchewan Made Marketplace: Truly Homegrown

source: Farm and Food Report

One quick look around Saskatoon’s 8th Street East store and it all starts to register.

There are a lot more Saskatchewan products available than one might think: saskatoon berry jams, jellies and pies; baked goods, snack foods; health-related products like flax, gluten-free flour products and baking mixes; meats — everything from bison to ostrich and organic chicken.

Let’s not forget wild rice and maple – and even birch – syrup.

Saskatchewan Made Marketplace is a retailoutlet that showcases the broad range of food products processed by members of the Saskatchewan Food Processors Association (SFPA).

There are two outlets in Saskatoon — the second one is in the Confederation Mall. There is one outlet on Park Street in Regina, as well as smaller stores in Moose Jaw, Nipawin and Watrous, where existing stores are establishing Saskatchewan Made sections.

The network develops under the guidance of Chief Operating Officer Darrell Schneider.

“Saskatchewan consumers have long lamented the fact that there were no places to shop for the vast array of quality products that are being produced and processed in Saskatchewan,” Schneider says. “All this changed on October 9, 2004 when the first freestanding Saskatchewan Made store opened in Saskatoon.”

Schneider, who is himself a member of the industry through his company Schneider’s Gourmet World — specializing in snack foods — has been with the project since the beginning.

“Our own company started out selling through a kiosk in a mall during Christmas time,” he says. “We did very well, as did Grace Whittington from Riverbend Plantation and a few others. We talked about having a Saskatchewan Made retail outlet that would operate year- round, but we were told it wouldn’t work”

Funding was eventually secured from the Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development program in Saskatchewan (CARDS) with the financial assistance of industry partners.

The need to create a Saskatchewan Made brand for the products themselves was identified.

“Branding is a necessary step,” Schneider explains. “We needed a Saskatchewan Made logo and stickers to stimulate brand recognition and introduce Saskatchewan Made products to local consumers. Our logo symbolizes the high level of quality of the products we offer and acts as an influencer on consumers — encouraging them to choose our products over others.”

Schneider feels that “all things being equal in terms of quality, price and packaging, there is no reason not to consider a Saskatchewan product. We hope to instill in consumers a habit of looking for the Saskatchewan Made logo when they shop.”

Saskatchewan Made products eventually found themselves in a variety of stores and outlets operated by SFPA members, who sold their own products plus those of other producers in the association.

The products also became available through grocery chains that carried their own product line and stocked Saskatchewan Made products in Saskatchewan Made sections or regular sections within their stores.

Key to the concept is the notion of bringing everything Saskatchewan in one physical area, according to Schneider — the freestanding structure being the ultimate solution.

“The Saskatchewan Made Marketplace offers an exciting new option for producers and consumers alike. We see it as a place where Saskatchewan artists, publishers, musicians, crafters and First Nations people can also showcase their products and their talents. We are calling it an event place — a destination store.”

If anything, the Marketplace concept has certainly kicked off a whole new approach to Saskatchewan food product distribution and marketing.

“The SFPA has established a consolidated shipping process in its Marketplace distribution centre,” Schneider explains. “This means that if any store wants to order any of the shelf-stable products currently available in Saskatchewan Made stores, it can now just prepare one order and pay for it in one shot through one invoice. This is expected to make quite a difference in increasing efficiencies.”

The SFPA stores are now working on another initiative around fundraising for non-profit groups.

“Why should we have to use out of province or even foreign product to raise funds for scouts, curling rinks and other sports activities? We have a Saskatchewan Made solution in the works that will appeal to consumers and producers. Please stay tuned. I think we are on a roll here.”

For more information, contact:
Darrell Schneider
Saskatchewan Made Marketplace
(306) 683-2410