Senior Livestock Editor John Greig is at the Ontario Pork Congress reporting on the status of pork markets, where the province is at in terms of processing capacity and the current status of disease risk of hog farms in Ontario.

Watch here for this, and more, from the Ontario Pork Congress in the coming days.

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The 19-year-old self-taught auctioneer from Burford, Ont., swept the 25th annual Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship, winning Rookie of the Year and Grand Champion titles at the Livestock Marketing Association of Canada gala May 24.

Why it matters: The Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship judges callers on their chant, rhythm, knowledge of the cattle business and control of a sale.

“I did not think I would win the whole thing,” said the rookie auctioneer from Ontario Livestock Exchange. “I would have been just happy with the rookie (buckle). It was a lot of fun overall, but this is a very special moment for sure.”

PHOTOS: LMAC’s 25th annual Canadian Livestock Auctioneer Championship

Within minutes of the win, many auctioneering circuit veterans surrounded him, shaking his hand and clapping his shoulder while his phone alerts pinged with incoming messages of congratulations.

“It’s a very, very exciting moment right now,” Deleeuw said. “I just want to thank everyone, and you know who you are, for all the help. It was much appreciated.”

• RELATED: Auction marts face changing industry

Rick Wright, LMAC national chair and competition organizer, said it was exciting to announce the youngest champion and the only one to win both categories in the same year in the competition’s 25-year history.

“He’s a gentleman, and he’s the future of our business. He’s got credentials now,” said Wright. “This is going to help him in his career if he decides to make it a full-time profession.”

The win is bittersweet because the win eliminates Deleeuw from future competitions, said Wright, though he’s confident the young auctioneer has a bright future in the business.

In the inaugural 1998 competition, a young Tony Chaffe won Rookie of the Year and took home the championship title in the following year, Wright recalled. It eliminated him as a future competitor but solidified his connection to the beef industry.

“He’s no longer an auctioneer, but he’s a big player in the beef industry. We make future cattlemen here, and for Lars, this is probably going to be one of the nights he’ll remember for the rest of his life.”

Deleeuw, who immigrated to Ontario from the Netherlands with his family in 2011, was drawn to the melodic rhythm of auctioneering. Three years ago, he began studying techniques online and contacted a world champion for mentorship.

“I just love the chant, the enthusiasm and the market,” he said. “(It) takes a lot of practice, getting the pop of the tongue rolling along with your words and your numbers.”

The competition was held in Ontario, so Deleeuw said he felt confident knowing where the bids would come from. He was second to compete in both rounds, and noted the interview process was challenging because the questions and answers are tricky.

“It’s not like I’m not going to show up again if I don’t make the top 10 because it’s just a lot of fun,” Deleeuw said during the competition. “It’s about having fun and learning new things.”

His performance in the top-10 final round, combined with the interview, out-scored veteran competitors by a few points. But with 35 strong entrants, the six judges agreed the competition was tough.

“It was easier for me to score them (finalists) than it was picking the top 10 because you feel there’s other ones that could be with them,” said Calvin Kuepfer, first-time judge and 2015 champion. “There was a lot of rookies this year, and they all did a fantastic job.”

Rookies Gary Albrecht, Ryan Kuepfer and Deleeuw all work from the Ontario Livestock Exchange, and Kuepfer mentors them in all aspects of auctioneering.

“I think (mentorship) is very important, and I try to be there for them if they have questions,” he said. “I try to go with them to as many sales as I can, and I get them to help me all the time.”

The championship saw 11 rookies compete against veterans, and rookies won two of the top five placings — Deleeuw and Ty Cutler, a second-generation auctioneer whose father was a Canadian champion.

“I love seeing them young guys come on board and want to be in the industry and the business,” said Kuepfer, adding that the rookies placed well because of their chant, rhythm and knowledge of the cattle business.

”That’s what it takes to be a good auctioneer, and I think they both fit that category.”

Wright said Cutler has been selling for 18 months, is enthusiastic, has an incredible coach and reflects the new generation of auctioneers.

Deleeuw brought his A-game and the title came down to a few points between him and second-time reserve champion and Alberta veteran Tyler Rosehill of Olds Auction Mart.

Albertan Rob Bergevin of Foothills Auctioneers Inc., was runner-up; Dave Jacob of Ontario Stockyards Inc. was second; and rookie Ty Cutler of Whitewood Livestock was third. William “Billy” Haalstra of Ontario Livestock Exchange won the Most Congenial Auctioneer title, voted upon by his peers.

The grand champion also receives a championship ring, a limited edition Ken Frederickson bronze trophy, use of an EBY trailer for a year and entry into the Calgary Stampede’s International Auctioneering Championship.

In 2023, Deleeuw placed ninth overall in the International Auctioneering Championship in Olds, Alta. He said he’ll concentrate on controlling his nerves and selling through the Ontario Livestock Exchange before the July 13 competition.

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From beginning to end, the Future of Food event, held a few hundred metres from Parliament Hill, focused on what many see as the better-than-ever potential for Canadian farming and food.

“There is a generational opportunity,” said Justine Hendricks, Farm Credit Canada’s president and CEO, to an audience of more than 700. “If we don’t act, we’re going to miss it.”

Why it matters: Agriculture organizations, farmers and industry representatives gather in Ottawa for Canada’s Agriculture Day every year to discuss opportunities and challenges in the sector.

Though some people outside the agriculture sector accuse farmers of contributing to climate change, the comments of deputy agriculture minister Stefanie Beck served as a riposte.

“We believe that agriculture is one of the solutions to climate change,” said Beck, whose comments were well received by the crowd.

She said agriculture is a $140 billion part of Canada’s economy, likely to hit $99 billion in exports this year, and a dynamic force for the nation.

“That’s thanks to you,” said Beck.

The Ottawa event, the capstone to recognition of Agriculture Day across Canada, saw scores of agricultural luminaries, politicians, senior bureaucrats, organization heads and farmers mingle with groups of university students.

A group from the University of Ottawa spoke with Hendricks during one coffee break, while a group from Queen’s University peppered AGT Food and Ingredients founder Murad Al-Katib during another.

A group of students from McGill attended the entire conference and young farmers from Ontario were easy to find.

Al-Katib urged Canadian agriculture folks to embrace the opportunities that the country offers and invest in the agriculture industry.

“Canada has such an advantage,” said Al-Katib, who began building his pulse-based trading and processing empire from the middle of his native rural Saskatchewan, where his Turkish parents had settled in the 1960s.

He praised Canada’s political and economic stability, as well as its riches in farmland, water and work ethic.

Panel discussions tackled opportunities and challenges to Canada’s farmers and agriculture industry.

Michael McCain, Maple Leaf Foods’ CEO, said Canada is a great place to produce carbon-neutral and sustainable food, but consumers aren’t yet willing to support that development with their grocery spending.

He urged the crowd to tackle the issue, since consumer support is necessary for agriculture and food to successfully embrace a transformation.

“Government, business leaders, civil society, farming companies – we need to build a coalition of consumer awareness and trust,” said McCain.

The McDonald’s fast-food chain was lauded for vocally supporting Canadian farmers in its labelling and branding. Canadian McDonald’s president Michele Boudria discussed sustainability measures like those developed by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Indigenous agricultural leaders and entrepreneurs said there is much potential for farming development across Canada. They called for more connections across agriculture to tap that potential.

There wasn’t much negative talk at Canada’s Agriculture Day, but on the previous evening, a friendly warning was raised by Ted McKinney, CEO of the U.S. National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He thinks Canada’s implementation of the dairy accord following negotiation of the CUSMA trade deal might soon provoke political talk south of the border.

“We felt betrayed,” said McKinney about Canada’s effective blocking of most U.S. dairy products despite the accord.

Canada’s Agriculture Day didn’t exactly occupy Parliament Hill, where a chill north wind shredded the joy of being outdoors.

A restrained pro-Palestinian protest chanted and waved placards in front of the Prime Minister’s Office down the street from the Agriculture Day pre-event, but in general it was a quiet time in Ottawa to respect one of Canada’s most important economic forces that employs millions and feeds tens of millions.

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Starting with an interactive Pig Mobile, a spring Hambassador training event, and building on a collection of new online resource tools, the industry is ready to hit the road.

“About two per cent of Canadians have a direct connection to a farm anymore, leaving a huge gap where most people don’t understand the work and care it takes to raise animals and produce pork,” says Stacey Ash, director of communications and consumer marketing with Ontario Pork.

Why it matters: The pandemic provided an opportunity for farm organizations to develop updated consumer education tools.

“That’s why we’re invested in meeting consumers where they are, at events and shows, and helping producers and industry spokespeople develop the skills and confidence to represent Ontario’s pork sector effectively.”

When the pandemic paused in-person events and education opportunities, Ontario Pork took the opportunity to reinvent its popular Pig Mobile. The original unit, a 26-foot trailer, featured three stages of a pig’s life — a sow and litter of piglets, three-month weaner pig and a six-month market animal. The new 24-foot trailer extends the farm to plate story to include the entire food value chain.

“The Pig Mobile has proven to be a fabulous tool, and we’ve extended the messaging to help people feel more confident about the pork industry,” says Ash.

Ontario Pork consulted event organizers, producers and industry representatives so the new unit reflects the diversity of the pork sector. Information about career opportunities, an interactive supply chain story, animal care videos and displays are new features to the trailer.

The main attraction, live pigs, has been scaled back to a single display featuring a larger viewing area and modern equipment including in-barn monitors and an expandable stall for a sow and piglets.

Connecting with consumers

“If we don’t use our own voice to tell people how we raise our animals, someone else will,” says Charity Veldhuizen, Ontario pork producer and Pig Mobile volunteer. “It’s important we step out of our comfort zones and step off the farm to meet consumers in person. It means a lot to people when they can ask us questions and hear answers from real farmers.”

It’s been nearly 40 years since agriculture education pioneers Ron and Sharon Douglas developed the concept of a pig mobile and introduced it to showcase the pork industry. The couple participated in the recent Hambassador training day that saw more than 30 pork industry volunteers in attendance. They listened to first-hand experiences from seasoned event volunteers, learned about the new trailer and got tips for interacting with consumers and sharing stories on social media.

Known as Hambassadors, this group of producers, veterinarians, feed specialists, processors, students and livestock transporters will support the Pig Mobile at consumer events including the Canadian National Exhibition, Western Fair and Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, along with regional events across the province.

Ash explains that, while everyone is passionate about their role in the pork industry, the goal of the Hambassador program is to help participants feel more confident when interacting with the public.

The spring training day focused on understanding the audience, identifying the types of information and level of detail they are looking for and the importance of being honest and accurate when answering questions.

“We’re all experts in our field, but when we interact with consumers at the events, it’s important to meet them where they are and understand what they want to learn about,” says Ash.

Veldhuizen says it’s been rewarding to connect with people and share on-farm experiences. She looks for ways to connect with people, like relating to their experiences as pet owners.

“It’s always gratifying to watch people have light bulb moments when they make a connection or learn something,” says Veldhuizen. “And people often amplify the information when they walk away and share what they’ve learned with their kids or friends.”

Adjusting to post-pandemic crowds

Ontario Pork has enhanced its online pork education tools and resources through ExperienceOntarioPork.com. Focusing on parents and teachers, a new suite of printable resources, interactive games and videos were introduced and grew throughout the pandemic.

The resources can also be accessed from QR codes included in the design of the Pig Mobile. Ash notes the use of QR codes became popular again as a result of the pandemic and can replace some traditional educational handouts.

Last year saw a surge in attendance at most agriculture-related events across the province. Ash believes people were excited to be out after pandemic restrictions were lifted and took advantage of the ability to attend in-person events.

“Attendance will be hard to predict this year,” she notes.

Those interested in representing the Ontario pork industry at an upcoming event can contact Ontario Pork for more information.

“You don’t have to be producer. We have an amazing supply chain, and we’re always looking to people to share their story,” says Ash.

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“Last year, we were here on the grounds at Elora (Grandway Events Centre) sharing Breakfast from the Farm, and this year, for the first time in a number of years, we are back on the farm, thank goodness,” said Alicia Becker, the organization’s community engagement manager.

Three Breakfast from the Farm events were held in 2022 at the Paris, Grand River and Milton agricultural societies, which fed approximately 2,500 people and launched the FFCO back to in-person events.

Why it matters: This summer marks a complete return for FFCO’s popular Breakfast on the Farm events.
This year, Becker said Breakfast on the Farm will feature a farm crawl involving eats on two farms instead of one.

Breakfast on the Farm — Farm Crawl Edition will be held June 17 and begins at the Prior operation.

Turkey sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches will be served on the Brussels area Grazing Meadows Wagyu Farm from 9 a.m. until noon. Wagon pasture tours will be provided.

The Priors graze 60 head of Wagyu cattle on pasture from spring through fall and say they are excited to show off a recent barn expansion.

• READ MORE: Local students get a Bite of Brant

Then it’s a 15-minute drive to the Hallahan Dairy in Blyth, where visitors can enjoy ice cream, tour the barns and milking facility and get an up-close and personal introduction to the herd from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Tickets are for staggered entry to ensure all participants can talk directly to the farmers and access the interactive displays and family photo opportunities on both farms.

Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said the FFCO Farm Crawl is an ideal way to celebrate Father’s Day weekend.

“There are generations of families that have been removed from the farm, and it emphasizes the fact that we need to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Thompson.

Senator Rob Black congratulated the FFCO’s innovation in developing interactive ways to engage people outside the agriculture sector.

He joked that for at least one weekend in June, ice cream is for breakfast.

“We’ve got to leave room for ice cream,” said Black while lauding the FFCO Farm Crawl.

A second Breakfast on the Farm will be held in August on Kevin McLean’s Ripplebrook Farm near Napanee, said Becker.

All events will require volunteers. About 40 people are already signed up, but Becker said more will be needed and they can register online.

The event is free but reserving a space requires a $5 refundable deposit. Tickets are available online until 4 p.m. June 16, or until space sells out, for the rain or shine event.

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“The present-day realities of growing pandemic case counts, provincial health guidelines restricting trade shows, continued closure of the US/Canada border, and the fact that the Western Fair District Agriplex, which traditionally houses large shows and events, continues to be at-the-ready as a temporary COVID-19 hospital, makes the fast-approaching 2021 Winter/Spring show season impossible to deliver,” the organization said in a recent statement.

The association says it will launch a new video production space to host speakers and live demonstrations which will be available to community and business organizations, including those in agriculture.

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About $1 million will be made available to all qualifying agricultural and horticultural societies to help ensure operations. In previous years, organizations could only qualify for provincial funding if they operated fall fairs.

“Our agricultural and horticultural organizations are part of the backbone of rural Ontario. We know that the decision to cancel their fairs and events was a difficult but important one in order to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario’s minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. “We are providing this funding to help continue operations and relieve some of the burden they are experiencing during this difficult time.”

The Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies (OAAS) has reported that more than 175 fall fairs and events have been cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.

“The Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies is grateful for the Ontario government’s support,” said Vince Brennan, OAAS Manager.

The province provides some funding to individual agricultural societies through grant payments enabled through the Agricultural and Horticultural Organizations Act. Under the Act, Regulation 16 sets out that in the year an agricultural society is paid a grant they must hold an agricultural exhibition, such as a fall fair. The COVID-19 restrictions have prevented the events that would help to meet this criteria in 2020, with some societies at risk of closing their organizations.

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Livestock Central Programming

Beef Coffee Talk: Livestock are Critical to a Sustainable Food System
Dr. Sara Place, Chief Sustainabilty Officer, Elanco

In recent years, livestock agriculture has faced pressure and media attention regarding its sustainability. Alternative products have used sustainability claims to market their imitation products to conscientious consumers looking to do the right thing with their purchasing habits. Often missing from the public discussion is a critical fact: a sustainable food system requires livestock. This presentation will cover some of the key environmental sustainability issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and feed-food competition, as well as highlight how livestock production can demonstrate its commitment to sustainability.

Building Resiliency in the Beef Sector Panel
Maryjo Tait, Co-owner & Operator, Celtic Ridge Farms; Trystan Halpert, Director of Operations, CHOP Steakhouse and Bar; Bob Lowe, President, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association; & Jarrod Gillig, VP Operations, Cargill. Moderated by Lisa Guenther, Editor, Canadian Cattlemen

Four industry leaders from different points on the beef supply chain come together to touch on the risks faced by the beef industry and the opportunities ahead. A farmer, a cattle industry leader, a high-end restaurant director and a processing facility executive come together to talk about the impact of COVID-19, what a more resilient industry would look like, and what we need to do to get there. This session is moderated by Lisa Guenther, Editor of Canadian Cattlemen. The session was developed in partnership with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

Cattle Handling Demo
Tim Prior, Owner & President, Brussels Agri Services Ltd. & Bruce Abbey, Territorial Sales Manager, Gallagher North America

Learn how proper use of equipment can keep animals moving quietly through, keep the operator safe and increase efficiency.

The cattle handling systems being demonstrated will feature an eight-foot crowding tub, an eight-foot adjustable alley with Gallagher alley way ladders, and a manual processing chute with many features. It’s ideal for operations with cattle in different locations, as it is portable to be able to move from farm-to farm. The main feature is the head holder to totally restrain the animal’s head.

Sheep Farming in 2020
Romy and Ryan Schill, Owners & Operators of Circle R Lamb

Ryan and Romy Schill own and operate Circle R Lamb, a sheep operation located in Wallenstein, Ont. They started farming in 2015 with 25 head of sheep and grew to almost 1,000 ewes by 2018. They operate on 100 owned and 50 rented acres.

In this session, Ryan and Romy will walk through their farm and discuss decisions they have made regarding breeding stock, selling, barn versus pasture, feeding rations and why each group of sheep get the ration that they do.

Like all farmers, they are concerned about how COVID-19 might affect their business. about COVID-19 affecting their business. Learn what external factors impacted this sheep farm, how they have adapted and what their future plans are.

Rotational Grazing Demo
Tim Prior, Owner & President, Brussels Agri Services Ltd. & Bruce Abbey, Territorial Sales Manager, Gallagher North America

A well-managed pasture can increase productivity and extend the grazing season. This pasture grazing system works to easily move the cattle from one paddock to another, providing fresh nutrients daily. The cattle are controlled in approximately three acres of paddock, then moved to the next paddock daily. This allows the previous paddock to rest and rejuvenate for approximately 30 days until it is ready to be grazed again. This gives even grazing on each paddock. Portable water and mineral are also moved with the cattle.

Guardians of the Grasslands
John Jamieson, President and CEO Canadian Centre for Food Integrity

Tune in to watch a screening of the film “Guardians of the Grasslands,” a documentary exploring the current state of the Great Plains grasslands, and the role cattle play in the survival of this important ecosystem. You’ll also hear interviews with filmmakers Ben Wilson and Sarah Wray, and John Jamieson from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity will share his thoughts on how the film fits into agriculture’s public advocacy efforts.

The post Livestock Central tackles challenges and looks at opportunities appeared first on Farmtario.

The movement and personal contact restrictions made necessary by the pandemic have changed how journalists work, including how we’re able to tell stories at Farmtario.

Major events in world history have pushed people beyond their comfort zones and that’s helped drive innovation and change; some for the worse, but much of it for the better.

We’re in the middle of one of those events right now, with a global pandemic that’s foisting unprecedented change into our economic and social systems, along with long-established supply chains.

The events that we in the farm media rely on for efficient news gathering and networking have been cancelled or moved online. That means we’ve had to be more creative about finding coverage and ways to connect with people. You’ll notice we don’t have as many good photos of people in our stories because we’ve stayed away from personal interviews during the pandemic. I hope to be able to visit more people on farms soon, while still taking precautions.

Compared to many other people and many other industries our challenges haven’t been insurmountable. In fact, they’ve pushed us to find new tools, which have been highly useful and we’ll continue to use them in the future.

The restrictions have forced reporters to hone new skills.

Farmtario’s parent company is Glacier FarmMedia, which also owns Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. That’s meant our Farmtario reporters have been heavily involved in creating content for the new Canada’s Digital Farm Show. We’ve become experts in Zoom, recording interviews and sessions with farmers and people with expert and interesting opinions about agriculture.

That content can be repositioned in many ways, flowed out in the multiple platforms on which Farmtario publishes, including in audio, video and text on our website, daily email, podcast and in print in our newspaper.

Don’t be surprised if in the future when we look for you to help us with an interview it’s on Zoom, or recorded in some way.

I’ve always been somewhat comfortable on video. I had some excellent TV reporting professors in university who forced me to become comfortable on camera pretty quickly. I also had an internship at CKNX TV… back in one of the final years there was a studio in Wingham.

Being in front of a camera for close to 30 sessions for Canada’s Digital Farm Show gave me little time to be nervous about it.

The challenge of moving to video required me to push some of my interviewees to be comfortable talking on camera. Thank you to those who have agreed to go along with my experiments. It hasn’t been as bad as you’ve expected, has it?

There will be changes both in society and markets due to the extended impacts of COVID-19.

What will the changes be for demand on the food and fibre and fuel that farmers provide? There will be opportunity. I see those who market directly from farms busier than ever and innovating quickly to fill those new markets as best they can, as one example. There will be others we haven’t thought of yet and everyone, including those in agriculture and food are pushed out of their comfort zones.

Food-based generosity continues during the COVID-19 pandemic, and much of it continues to involve farmers.

Veal farmers and turkey farmers both recently delivered treats or meals to workers at plants that process their animals.

Veal farmers delivered cookies to workers at plants across the province. Turkey farmers visited six different processing facilities with meals for the workers at those locations.

Pork producers were the first to deliver meals to processing plant workers as part of the Pork Industry Gratitude Project.

Farmers are also finding new partners to work with to get their surplus production to people who need it.

The Muslim Youth Association of Vaughn organization delivered bread to Horodynsky Farms, which they said was to thank farmers for their work, and Horodynsky Farms, near Innisfil, delivered onions to the Humanity First organization, which delivers food to those in need.

The post Editorial: Crises will push you out of your comfort zone quickly appeared first on Farmtario.

Canada’s Digital Farm Show, which takes place Sept. 15 – 18, is a digital-only edition of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, which has been held annually since 1994. Activities at the show site near Woodstock, ON will be streamed online to farmers via home computers, tablets, and Android and iOS devices. Farmers participate for free.

“We had a very clear mandate in creating Canada’s Digital Farm Show for 2020,” explains Owen Smelski, the show’s Exhibits and Demonstration Manager.

“This event reflects the same values and purpose of connecting farmers and companies in agriculture.”

During the four days of Canada’s Digital Farm Show, a powerful, interactive platform will match farmers to the activities most relevant to them, and enable instant one-on -one conversations between farmers and exhibitors. Plot tours and equipment demonstrations – always among the most popular show events – will give farmers a between-the-rows, from-the-tractor-seat visual experience they haven’t had before.

Smelski notes that the digital-only format is drawing interest from farmers and exhibitors well outside the show’s traditional visitor radius. Canada’s Digital Farm Show corporate partners or exhibitors for 2020 include Kubota Canada, John Deere and BKT Tires. Producer association partners include Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, and more.

Register at outdoorfarmshow.com.

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