Farm safety training receives funding
Ten new agricultural safety training projects will receive $125,000 this year through the Farm Credit Canada AgSafety Fund.
Farm Credit Canada and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association are awarding the money to eight regional and two national projects.
The funding is offered to charitable and non-profit organizations planning projects that provide safety training to producers in Canada.
The FCC AgSafety Fund, which is in its third year, provides financial support to a wide range of projects, including farm safety webinars, a safety tips calendar, a safe work practices handbook with accompanying video for the turkey industry and promotion of CASA’s FarmSafe program to farmers in Saskatchewan and Quebec.
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The projects will help raise ag safety awareness and upgrade skills to manage on-farm safety risks.
For more information, visit casa-acsa.ca/fcc-agsafety-fund-2-13-2014.
Applications for the FCC AgSafety Fund will be accepted again starting in September.
CWA introduces new board
Canadian Western Agribition has a new leadership team.
Reed Andrew of Regina is the new president.
He is a 35-year Agribition volunteer and a long-time commercial cattle exhibitor.
He served on the Agribition board of directors for seven years before being elected to the executive committee in 2007.
While on the board, Andrew served as commercial cattle chair, beef chair and trade show chair and was instrumental in launching Grain Expo in 2012.
Vice-president Stewart Stone of Regina was also elected to the executive team.
Members at large include Bruce Holmquist of Kinistino, Sask., Curtis Kuchinka of Regina, Bryce Thompson of Regina and past president Bryan Hadland of Weldon Sask.
Agribition members also elected the following Saskatchewan representatives to the board of directors to serve a two year term: Barry Young of Carievale, Blake MacMillan of Nokomis, Richard Harries of Regina, Bob Jackson of Sylvania and Courtney MacDougall of Regina.
Serving the second year of their two year terms are Elmer Eashappie of Regina, Doug Fee of De Winton, Alta., Chris Lees of Arcola, Sask., Carla Schmitt of Arborfield, Sask., and Jason Williams of Hanley, Sask.
Douglas McRorie Memorial Scholarship recipients
Valeria Castellanos Hurtado and Ishrat Gadhok are this year’s recipients of the Agricultural Institute of Canada Foundation’s Douglas McRorie Memorial Scholarship.
Both are students from the University of British Columbia. Castellanos Hurtado receives a $5,000 PhD level award and Gadhok is one of two recipients of a $3,000 award at the masters level.
The scholarship is made available through the support of the RBC Foundation. It was created to honour AICF past-president and agri-finance innovator Douglas McRorie.
Castellanos Hurtado is a PhD candidate in integrated studies in land and food systems. Her thesis research is on the environmental effects of trade liberalization and other price dynamics in Canadian agriculture.
Gadhok is enrolled in the university’s masters of food and resource economics program.
Her research project on the thinly traded rice market has required her to not only research supply, demand and price triggers but also necessitates a deeper understanding of the significant political dimension to staple crops that often dictates policy.
Historic Jersey registrations amended
Amendments to the Jersey Canada herd book have been completed.
The changes were made in response to the discovery of several problems with past registrations, particularly related to animals that may have been improperly recorded in the database in terms of their genetic makeup.
The percentage purity of 1,600 animals has been corrected to align with Jersey Canada bylaws, which were passed by the membership and given ministerial approval.
Owners of Canadian Jerseys are encouraged to visit the Jersey Canada Online Pedigree Database to research specific animals in their herd.
The percentage purity for an animal can be found by referring to the “Jersey %” field.
Agriculture Canada’s animal industry division helped develop a plan to address the necessary amendments.
Pork council presents awards
The Manitoba Pork Council recently presented its annual Pork Industry Awards.
The awards are given to individuals, groups and organizations that have made significant contributions to pork production.
Jonathan Kleinsasser, managing director of Crystal Spring Hog Equipment, received the Pork Industry Innovation Award to recognize his contributions to improving equipment for animal food production.
Henervic Farms received the Pork Industry Swine Steward Award to recognize its commitment and contributions to agriculture, the hog industry and its community.
