An update from Manitoba Beef Producers

March 20, 2017 mbbeef.ca

E-Newsletter

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Reminder to Producers

March 31, 2017 is the deadline to apply for the Farmland School Tax Rebate for the 2016 tax

year. Your application must be received by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and the taxes must be paid in full by that date. For

more information, visit masc.mb.ca/fstr.

Ensuring that the prov-ince’s beef producers are recognized for their work in reducing green-house gas (GHG) emis-sions is one of the key recommendations in Manitoba Beef Produc-ers’ (MBP) new carbon pricing policy.Released March 16, the policy includes six rec-ommendations as MBP works to see that beef production remains profitable and sustain-able as the provincial government continues to develop its Manito-ba Climate and Green Plan.

“Manitoba’s beef pro-ducers are key stewards the province’s natural capital, long seen as protectors of the en-vironment, including grasslands, wetlands, and species at risk and their habitats,” said MBP President Ben E. Fox. “Every effort needs to be made to protect the sustainability of Manitoba’s beef pro-duction, both econom-ically and environmen-tally if the province is to realize the objectives of reducing our carbon

MBP releases carbon pricing policy

MBP General Manager Brian Lemon speaks with Josh Crabb of CTV Manitoba about the release of MBP's Car-bon Pricing Policy.

Manitoba Beef Producers E-Newsletter

• Provide your comments on the government of Manitoba's Climate and Green Plan

• Lots of great information in the latest issue of the CCA Action News

• Have a plan before sending your cattle out this spring

• Manitoba Beef Producers working to protect species at risk

In the NewsA look at the news

and articles of interest to Manitoba’s Beef

industry output.”“In Manitoba cattle are raised largely on forages, pastures and grasslands. It is these pastures and grasslands that hold the key to the carbon sequestration needed as part of the solution, as well as helping to preserve valuable ecosystems and manage our water resources. A profitable beef industry in Manitoba is essential to protecting grasslands and pastures from encroachment as well as to achieving other environmental and conservation objectives.”MBP’s 6-point policy on the implementation of any carbon pricing regime is as follows:1. Exempt on-farm agricultural emissions;2. Recognize agriculture for the GHG reduction benefits it provides;3. Investments in research to further reduce GHG emissions through improved forage varieties and grazing strategies;4. Invest in initiatives and tools to enhance producer resilience related to climate change and severe weather events;5. Ensure trade competitiveness is maintained by aligning imple-mentation of any additional costs and credits with those of our major trading partners; and6. Enact policies to encourage that agricultural lands remain in (or are returned to) pasture and forage production and grasslands, thereby supporting Manitoba’s cattle industry.“A profitable beef industry in Manitoba is essential to protecting grasslands and pastures from encroaching pressures as well as to achieving other environmental and conservation objectives,” Fox said. To see the complete Manitoba Beef Producers carbon pricing policy please click here.

MBP releases carbon pricing policy

Looking for someone to talk to in times of stress?

www.ruralsupport.caCall the toll free Telephone HelpLine or visit

them online (Crisis Chat ) 1-866-367-3276 (Monday to Friday 10 AM to 9 PM)

204-571-4180 After hours: 1-888-322-3019

Celebrating agriculture at Discover Agriculture in the City

Discover Agriculture in the City 2017 was held Friday and Saturday at The Forks Market in Winnipeg. Manitoba Beef Producers was one of 15 exhib-itors at the event which proved to be an excellent opportunity to promote agriculture to a largely urban audience. Clockwise from above photo: MBP tradeshow spokesperson Terra Bergen speaks with an event attendee about the provincial beef industry; Lloyd the Intern of Virgin Radio Winnipeg tries out MBP's virtual cattle ranch, which was a huge hit at the event; the Made in Manitoba Breakfast was held for the students who attended Ag in the City. The breakfast is organized by Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba; Another highlight of the two days was the University of Manitoba Food Fight where students pitch their products to a panel of judges.

Calving Season just got a whole lot easier. All it takes is a 3-5 ml, oral dose • Stimulates calves to get up and suck • Builds gut health & immunity • Prevents dehydration • Fights organisms that cause scours

For more info or to find a retailer near you:

HAROLD UNRAU(204) 871-0250www.hulivestock.com

The all-natural solutionthat actually works!

Available at: Horizon, Gladstone Vet Clinic,Fehrway Feeds, Genex, Roblin Vet Services

Contract opportunity with Manitoba Beef Producers

On-Farm Assessor for the project “Innovation in disease management, disease control and wildlife/livestock interaction in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area for Manitoba.”Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is looking for a highly motivated individual to work on a contract basis to conduct voluntary On-Farm Risk Assessments (OFRAs) with livestock producers in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA). These assessments support ongoing collaborative efforts towards the eradication of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Manitoba.Responsibilities include: a) Contacting producers within the RMEA and conducting individual On-Farm Risk Assessments using an evaluation form; b) Distributing information materials such as brochures and reports; andc) Supporting bTB eradication activities by attending forums such as producer meetings or bTB Task Force meetings, if requested by the MBP General Man-ager.

Qualifications: • A good understanding of livestock production.• Strong communications and data management skills. • Highly-motivated self-starter who is able to work independently.• Access to a personal vehicle for travel to on-site farm assessments.• Experience in conducting assessments or surveys an asset.

Please send a cover letter and resumé to the attention of MBP General Man-ager Brian Lemon via info@mbbeef.ca by April 14th 2017.

MBP recognizes the ongoing efforts by Manitoba’s livestock producers toward achieving the goal of eradicating bovine tuberculosis.

By the Beef Cattle Research CouncilJoin this webinar to learn about strategies to help establish and maintain native forages for high yields and animal performance.When: 8 p.m. in ManitobaInterested but aren’t available that evening?Register anyway! This webinar will be recorded and posted online at a later date. All reg-istrants will receive a link to the recording and additional learning resources. By attending the live event, you’ll have the opportunity to interact and ask questions too.Watching on a tablet or mobile device?If you plan to join the webinar using your tablet or mobile de-vice, you will need to download the appropriate receiver. We recommend that you join the webinar 15 minutes early as you will be prompted to download the receiver once you log in, which may take several minutes to complete. To download the receiver ahead of time, visit: http://www.citrix.com/go/re-ceiver.htmlDurationApproximately 1 hour.CostBCRC webinars are available and free of charge thanks to guest speakers who volunteer their time and expertise to support

advancements in the Canadian beef industry, and through the Knowledge Dissemination and Technology Transfer project funded by the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-off and Canada’s Beef Science Cluster.SpeakerAlan Iwaasa PhD,Dr. Iwaasa is a Grazing Man-agement/Ruminant Nutrition Research Scientist at Agricultlure & Agri-Food Canada in Swift Current, SK (SPARC). Dr. Iwaasa obtained his Ph.D. in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Guelph, with Undergraduate and Masters degrees from the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Iwaasa started his career in 2000 at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – SPARC (Swift Current) – and has been there ever since. He is also an Adjunct Professor with the Dept. of Animal & Poul-

try Science at the University of Saskatchewan. What is a webinar?Webinars are just like attend-ing a workshop or conference, but from the comfort of your own home or office. We bring the presentation right to you. They’re easy to join and partic-ipate in. A reliable, high-speed internet connection is required.All you need to do is register beforehand, and about 5-10 minutes before the webinar is scheduled to begin, click the link you were provided when you registered. Then turn up your computer speakers or call the phone number provided. That’s it! Sit back and enjoy. As a par-ticipant, you can anonymously answer polls and surveys, and will have the opportunity to ask questions near the end of the webinar.You can find more beef re-search-related webinars hosted by other organizations on our events calendar.Don’t have high-speed internet? Consider calling a neighbor that does and watch the webinar together, or call your regional ag office to ask whether arranging a group viewing is possible.Visit our Webinars page to find other upcoming BCRC webinars and the recordings of our past sessions.

Managing native forages: Webinar April 6

Alan Iwaasa

What is VBP Plus (VBP+)?Beef producers like yourself care greatly about your animals, the product you produce and the environment in which you farm. It’s just common sense.

In today’s world the majority of people consuming your product are far removed from the farm, and often don’t understand what it is you do. Combine that with negative stories, misplaced myths and uncertainty about what to buy, only increases the need to trust. This is true of all commodities: from vegetables and fish production to raising beef.

To bring transparency and reassurance back to their buying choices, the industry and marketplace has increasingly adopted verification programs to reassure all levels of buyers that what we say we do – we are doing!

Buyers concerns cover a wide range of topics from food safety, animal health and welfare, the environment and even your well-being and survivability. Being “sustainable” is a popular term in the marketplace to describe all this with consumers wanting to make sustainable choices when purchasing goods and services.

Why VBP Plus (VBP+)?The Verified Beef Production (VBP) program, known in Canada for on-farm food safety, has been helping producers meet industry standards for food safety for over a decade. VBP coordinators and auditors are available to help you meet those standards in every province and are field proven, and trusted suppliers of information and audit services.

It makes sense to add animal care, biosecurity and environmental stewardship components to enhance the program a n d provide the entire sustainability package. The resulting program is cost effective and utilizes existing tools and programs wherever possible (e.g. programs such as animal care codes and environmental farm plans). This successful formula is aligned with other industry efforts, such as

the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) is building on the strong base of VBP by making it into a valuable program that will be a global leader in providing education and verification of ALL the good things you do.

How do I become VBP+ registered?

New producers to VBP+For those not registered in the VBP program now it’s still an easy entry process:

1. Learn about the program – through various educational media (e.g. self-assessment tool, online materials, webinars, teleconferences or by attending a regional workshop where offered).

2. Implement the program – review your practices, update your records where necessary and complete the self-assessment checklists making changes where and if necessary.

3. Complete the voluntary verification audit – this takesapproximately 3.5 hours, and involves a trained auditor who is knowledgeable in the beef industry. To be ready for the audit, a cow/calf producer must have the applicable records for at least 6 months, while a feedlot operator needs 3 months. The program is easily adaptable to any size of cow-calf or feedlot operation.

VBP Registered ProducersFor those producers registered in the VBP program now, they can transition into VBP+ on their next renewal

1. Continue to maintain the food safety records and practices as before.

2. Complete the VBP+ Supplemental Self-Assessment for the new components (biosecurity, animal care and environment),review your practices, update your records making changes where and if necessary.

3. The VBP+ program will be seamlessly integrated into your current audit cycle. Depending upon where you are at in your audit cycle, you will be required to submit:

a. a VBP+ self declaration or records assessment and,

b. averificationintervieworVBP+on-farmaudit.

4. Feedlots will be required to complete a feedlot cattle chute side handling and pen condition assessment.

Producers who successfully complete the above steps will receive a VBP+ certificate, and can market themselves as VBP+ registered. In some provinces VBP+ farm gate signs are also provided.

For more information on VBP+ To learn more about VBP+ workshop schedules, module information, self-assessment checklists and program costs please contact your provincial coordinator or visit our websites:

VBP Transitions to VBP Plus

Funds to build VBP+ come from Agriculture and Agri-

Food Canada’s AgriMarketing Program - Assurance Systems Stream of Growing Forward 2

Verified Beef Production Plus is an initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Beef

Cattle Research Council

Verified Beef Production Plus

Workshops are being delivered by webinar during the evening using two formats

• One for existing registered producers who have been through the VBP program before.• One for producers completely new to the program.• Webinars take place in the evenings so producers aren’t taken away from theirdaily chores.• The interactive webinars are delivered using web based video conferencing software.Participants can interact during the presentations, hear the presenters, and askquestions or make comments in real time.• Also available via app for smartphone and android

Webinars FOR EXISTING REGISTERED PRODUCERS – Monday, March 13 & 27 at 7 p.m.

& Wednesday, March 15 at 1 p.m.• VBP registered producers or those who have attended a VBP workshop in the pastcan sign up for the VBP+ added module webinar.• VBP+ enhanced module webinars will be held on a bi-weekly basis

Webinars FOR NEW PRODUCERS – Tuesday, March 21 & 28 at 7 p.m.

& Wednesday, March 8 at 1 p.m.• Producers who have not attended a VBP workshop in the past can sign up for theVBP+ full program

How to register for webinars or LIVE workshop• To sign up to attend a webinar or the LIVE workshop, please contact

Melissa Atchison or email at verifiedbeefmanitoba@gmail.com• Alternate times and days can be arranged based on producer demand• Producers with poor internet service can participate on March 8 & 15 from aManitoba Agriculture Office.Funded by the Canada & Manitoba governments through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.