Stewardship award; Water information; Junior chefs; Export centre opens
Stewardship award
The Madley family of the Canyon Ranch near Alexis Creek, B.C., have received the Environmental Steward-ship Award for their commitment to water quality, habitat restoration and riparian, grass and nutrient manage-ment.
Brooke and Bev Madley accepted the award on behalf of five generations that have worked and continue to work at the Canyon Ranch. The family raises Hereford-Angus cross cattle.
Protecting riparian areas is key to the Madley’s environmental farm plan and good stewardship practices.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
The ranch is located at the confluence of Alexis Creek and the Chilcotin River and has undergone extensive environmental modifications. The Madleys created a buffer zone along the creek and installed extensive fencing and water troughs.
To protect the Avon Creek on crown rangeland, the Madleys installed a water crossing with the help of the British Columbia Grazing Enhancement Fund. They also improved forage quality and increased livestock production by rotating cattle through the crown range management units.
For more information, visit www.cattle.ca and click on environmental stewardship.
Water information
An ample supply of good stock water is critical for livestock producers.
The booklet Livestock Watering Systems in Saskatchewan: Producer Experiences profiles 40 water projects used by producers.
The guide helps readers identify and compare the benefits of different water systems.
Funding is available for beneficial management practices, such as improved livestock site management and improved land management.
The publication highlights wind- and solar-powered systems, access points, spring developments, gravity-flow systems, pasture pipelines and winter water systems.
Copies can be obtained at Agri-Environment Services Branch offices, Ducks Unlimited, the Saskatchewan agriculture ministry, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority and on-line at www.yourland.ducks.ca/manage/pdf/sk-watering-systems.pdf.
Junior chefs
The Beef Information Centre recently helped showcase three junior chefs at the Canadian Culinary Federation of Chefs conference in Kelowna, B.C.
Hillary Horne, Domenic Serio and Max Wang showed their recipes in front of their peers and senior chefs attending the conference.
The junior chefs have created innovative recipes and developed burger recipes and several appetizer items featuring Canadian beef.
Recipes showcased at the conference included balsamic and tequila glazed beef bruschetta, beef and Gouda spring rolls with Jack Daniels jam, and mini chuck burgers.
As well as working with the junior chefs, BIC also participated in the CCFCC National Chef Competition and the Junior Culinary Challenge and provided beef for both events.
BIC’s efforts to promote Canadian beef are funded in part by cattle producers through the national beef cattle checkoff.
Export centre opens
The Canada Export Centre recently opened an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It joins export centres previously opened in Shanghai, Chongqing and Beijing in China, Mexico City, Dubai in United Arab Emirates, Seoul, South Korea, and Manila, Philippines.
By the end of 2009, the Canada Export Centre plans to open offices in Santiago, Chile; Mumbai, India; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Osaka and Tokyo in Japan and Guangzhou, China.
Sao Paulo is Brazil’s most significant import centre, responsible for generating 15 percent of Brazil’s gross national product. Brazil’s economy outweighs that of all other South American countries. It is expanding its presence in world markets with imports of $176 billion in 2008.
