Manure Spreading Advisory #4 - Oct. 17, 2011
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BC Forage Council July 2011 Newsletter |
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UBC Dairy Research Reports |
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Islands News February 2011 Newsletter |
Hay for Sale in BC ....
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Bird Flu rears its head again - Increased preparedness and surveillance urged against variant strain
FAO today urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid signs that a mutant strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health.
The H5N1 virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared in 2003, killing 331 of them, according to WHO figures. The latest death occurred earlier this month in Cambodia, which has registered eight cases of human infection this year -- all of them fatal.
Since 2003 H5N1 has killed or forced the culling of more than 400 million domestic poultry and caused an estimated $20 billion of economic damage across the globe before it was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006.
However, the virus remained endemic in six nations, although the number of outbreaks in domestic poultry and wild bird populations shrank steadily from an annual peak of 4000 to just 302 in mid 2008. But outbreaks have risen progressively since, with almost 800 cases recorded in 2010-2011.
| Sun PM | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu |
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| Low: 3°C |
High: 9°C Low: 1°C |
High: 10°C Low: 1°C |
High: 8°C Low: 0°C POP: 30% |
High: 8°C Low: 4°C POP: 60% |
Manure applications are not advised on any crops or fields.
Some producers may still be faced with potentially overflowing manure pits. Producers should plan to have enough manure storage to include the average 360 mm of expected precipitation in February and March plus account for unforeseen circumstances such as excessive rain and snow.
Allowing any uncontrolled release of manure is likely a contravention of the Environmental Management Act. If overflowing manure pits cannot be avoided, producers are strongly advised to identify temporary alternatives to manure spreading. Producers should examine alternative storage options on neighboring farm operations with no stock or consider dewatering a portion of their storage pits (use a temporary liquid separator). The separated solids should then be managed as solid manure and placed in a bermed and covered (confined) facility. If alternative storage options for excess manure are not available, please contact the Ministry of Agriculture or the Ministry of Environment (contact info below) for further advice.
Principal environmental risks associated with manure application include:
The T-Sum for Abbotsford is 109. A T-Sum of 200 (forecast for mid to late February) is one indication of optimal timing for the first fertilizer application on well-established grasses. Also consider crop growth: there have been few signs of early growth, if any, in perennial grass and cover crop fields so far.
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This new publication will present advanced forage management information as well as the agri-environmental aspect of forage production. Articles for the book will be contributed by forage researchers from across Canada, the United States and Europe. The book will be an excellent source of information for colleges and universities that teach courses in forage production. The Advanced Forage Management Guide will be offered free of charge to all forage producers in BC, including all dairy and beef producers and widely distributed in Canada and the U.S. It will be distributed through the BC Forage Council, the BC Milk Producers Association and will be available at BCMA offices. BOOK YOUR AD SPACE NOW by emailing pfca@farmwest.com or phone Fran at 250-267-6522. |
View 2011 yield data from the coastal sites in Abbotsford and Agassiz and from the Interior site in Enderby.
Growing Strawberries Organically is the newest handbook published by Canadian Organic Growers (COG) in its Practical Skills series of technical manuals for organic agriculture. The book and the series continue COG’s commitment and success in educating organic and transitioning growers.
Consumer demand is pushing organic production to be the fastest-growing sector in agriculture, and this book will help all Canadian strawberry growers enter this high-demand market. This informative handbook is also relevant to any producer who wishes to reduce chemical applications, thereby saving money.
In organic systems, caring for the soil is key, both to provide growing nutrients and to reduce pressure from weeds, pests and diseases. Growing Strawberries Organically is based on farm-tested cultural practices and includes the stories of several Canadian growers sharing what works and what doesn’t, with advice on topics as diverse as cover crops, insect control, marketing and “weeder geese.”
The Practical Skills series and other handbooks are available from Canadian Organic Growers on the web at www.cog.ca or by phone at 1-888-375-7383 (Canada) or 1-613-216-0741. The cost is $22.00.
Replacement heifers are the future of the dairy herd, but very little research is focused on these animals. Researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Dairy Education and Research Centre have recently completed three experiments designed to determine the effects of different methods of feeding weaned 5-8 month old Holstein heifers.
For all three experiments, electronic feed bins were used that identify individual heifers housed in a group pen and record the timing and amount of feed eaten during each visit to a feed bin. Feed samples were also taken to determine if heifers preferentially selected certain components of a total mixed-ration. Read entire article.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 10 am to 4 pm at The Rancho, Abbotsford
CAFA is a national, non-profit professional umbrella organization dedicated to assisting farm families and farm businesses by increasing the skills and knowledge of farm advisors and consultants. The time for a network of farm advisors in BC is now. BC farmers want and expect their advisors to know and understand their business and have the connections and resources of other professionals. CAFA offers this. CAFA conferences have an excellent reputation for timely topics and informative presentations. Agenda Registration
The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and the Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture, welcomed the clear victory for Canada's livestock industry represented by the WTO ruling that the U.S. Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL) measure is inconsistent with its WTO trade obligations.
"Today's WTO decision is good news for workers and families in Canada's world-class livestock industry, and further proof that our government's commitment to defending Canadian interests in every sector of our economy gets results," said Minister Fast. "This decision recognizes the integrated nature of the North American supply chain in this vitally important industry. Removing onerous labelling measures and unfair, unnecessary costs will improve competitiveness, boost growth and help strengthen the prosperity of Canadian and American producers alike." Read the entire News Release
MANURE SPREADING ADVISORY #4 - October 17
February 3-4, 2012, Duncan, BC
Climate Change Threatens Canada’s Water: Report
Coordinated national and regional water conservation guidelines are required to address the detrimental impact climate change is having on Canada’s water system, according to Simon Fraser University’s Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT).
“The days when Canadians take an endless abundance of fresh water for granted are numbered,” warns Bob Sandford, lead author of ACT’s new report Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance. “Increasing average temperatures, climate change impacts on weather patterns and extensive changes in land use are seriously affecting the way water moves through the hydrological cycle in many parts of Canada, which is seriously impacting water quantity and quality.”
“If Canada doesn’t become a water conservation society, water security in many parts of this country will be compromised.”
The report calls for a dramatic reform of water governance structures in Canada by all levels of government to meet the new challenges posed by a changing climate, and sets out 12 broad-based recommendations to help protect Canada’s fragile water supply.
"Another factor of the food scarcity myth is the staggering amounts of food (grains, vegetables and fruit) lost to poor post-harvest handling and storage around the world. The Economists 2001 Special Report on Feeding the World documents that up to 50% of the world’s food production is lost to spoilage, insect damage and storage and transportation inefficiencies."
"A November 2010 report from the George Morris Centre estimates $27 billion of Canadian food ends up in landfills. This represents approximately 40% of all the food produced in Canada."
"There are plenty of reasons to worry about food: uncertain politics, volatile prices, hunger amid plenty. Yet when all is said and done, the world is at the start of a new agricultural revolution that could, for the first time ever, feed all mankind adequately. That surely, is cause for optimism."
A series of recent studies at UBC have assessed the effects of regrouping on dairy cows. For example, in one study mid-lactation cows were initially observed in their home pen to monitor baseline behaviour and milk production. After the baseline period, 12 different cows were introduced individually (one at a time) into different established group of 11 cows. Feeding time, social behaviour (displacements from the feed bunk and lying stall) and lying behaviour were monitored using video cameras. Data loggers were attached to one hind leg of the each animal to measure standing and lying time.
When these cows were introduced to the new group they spent less time feeding, especially in the hour after fresh feed delivery when competition for food is typically at its peak. Newly regrouped cows were also displaced from the feeder by other cows much more frequently than before regrouping. Cows also tended to spend less time lying down after regrouping, likely because cows entering a new group were often displaced from freestalls by other cows. These disruptions set back milk production; on the day after regrouping cows produced 39.7 kg/d compared with an average production of 43.4 kg/d before regrouping.
